The Apex Predator
by Chi-Townboy
Summary: Derek Hale has not returned to Beacon Hills since the confrontation with Kate Argent in Mexico. Scott and his friends have resumed their ordinary lives, albeit with struggles. Scott worries about Derek. Kira worries over their relationship. And with a new hunter in town, Scott and company must band together to try and survive a threat greater than they have ever dealt with before.
1. The new kid

It had been nearly a month since Scott McCall had seen Derek Hale morph into a true wolf, and he was beginning to wonder if the man had vanished for good, perhaps aiding the Calaveras in hunting down his nemesis Kate. It didn't help that his friend Stiles brought him up every day, unable to keep his inquisitive thoughts to himself.

"I mean, the guy's a big, bad werewolf. Except he isn't a werewolf anymore. He's like, a really, _really_ bad true wolf. Maybe he's living with other wolves. Maybe he's in the woods naked, forever primal."

Scott sighed. One would think he was already used to the constant chatter that signaled that Stiles was nearby. Then again, one would also think that werewolves, kanimas, and banshees didn't exist in the human world. He raised his hand, signaling to his best friend to stop talking.

"...but maybe he's outside of the house, you know? Maybe him and creepy Uncle Peter are spying on us, just like they always do."

"STILES!" Scott yelled, hearing a hint of a roar escape his throat. Stiles froze, his mouth hanging wide open. Scott swallowed. "Sorry dude. Its just that we should probably head out." He indicated towards his bedroom clock.

Stiles nodded vigorously. "Yeah dude, yeah. I…yeah. Let's go." He let out a high-pitched laugh. Scott grinned and grabbed his lacrosse stick, strapping it to his backpack. Stiles yanked him by the arm. "C'mon. Lets just take the jeep."

…

Xavier popped his trunk, and slung his duffel bags over his forearm. The key was in the mailbox, exactly as his father had told him before his flight departed to America. He slid the key into the doorknob and turned it slowly, as if he didn't expect it to work. The lock slid easily, letting out a very loud click as it unbolted. Xavier was curious as to why the lock was so loud, but he turned the handle and focused on dragging his bags in.

The Argent household was empty, but it was just as big and just as fancy as he was told. He marveled for a few seconds, then proceeded to the garage. Finding the switch underneath the garage door controls, he flicked it and watched, unsurprised, as Chris Argent's hidden weapons compartments in the walls opened, revealing they were all empty.

Yanking out his cell phone, he dialed his father.

"X? I assume the house is in good order?"

Xavier took a breath before answering. "Yes sir. I'm probably going to get some stuff before Monday."

He could hear faint shuffling in the background, like his father wasn't the only person listening to the call. "Is Matt there?"

His father grunted in response. "That's not important. Your brother is fine. He's busy, just like you are. You'll find that your papers are all in order for enrollment at Beacon Hills High. Just try to have some fun, blend in." He then hung up.

Xavier snorted softly. _Thanks Dad._ He trudged out of the front door, once again thinking about the lock as it clapped shut behind him.

…

Coach Finstock seemed to have even less patience for Stiles' than Scott did that morning. Drumming his knuckles on Stiles' head for added effect, he outlined his rubric for the upcoming economics project. "You will work in groups of two, but someone may want to pair up with both Stilinski and McCall because they're basically half a student each! And Greenberg, if I see you in this class again, I'll drop the curve for your last exam!"

Scott rubbed his eyes, and then returned his gaze to his girlfriend Kira. Looking beautiful as always, it provided a much better view in class than Coach Finstock's waving arms did. She caught him looking and waved, smiling huge and waving almost as wildly as Finstock.

Scott chuckled inwardly. As long as he had his friends, he could deal with Coach Finstock and his worries about Derek.

…

_Mondays suck._ Scott parked his bike, but he waited for Stiles and Kira before walking to the school double doors. "Hey you," he grinned as Kira pecked him on the lips.

She smiled coyly at him and the two linked arms, walking into the school halls with Stiles struggling to keep up. As they passed the main office, Scott's ears picked up an unfamiliar voice coming from the inside.

"…yes sir. I just moved in…yeah, today is fine. Might as well start on a Monday, right?" His eyes followed the sound, settling on a young teenager shaking the hand of the principal. He was of average height and a tad on the slender side, with a youthful face. He was Chinese. How Scott knew, he couldn't explain.

"New kid," Stiles murmured. His eyes followed Scott's gaze. "Knowing our luck, he's probably super powerful and is a male kitsune.

Kira laughed and threw an elbow into Stiles' chest, getting a slight weeze in return. "Don't be crazy. Kitsune means trickster, not Asian. And I don't know of any males who are kitsunes. They prefer females, beautiful ones." She clapped her hands over her mouth, mortified at what she just said.

Scott nodded. "Stiles, dude, don't jinx us."

…

Slogging through the day wasn't hard. With the exception of history, all of Xavier's classes were fairly easy. Mr. Yukimara was just a hardass teacher. _I mean, what the hell? Since when is history hard? _Xavier thought ruefully.

He was never good at history in school because he had spent way too much effort in learning the alternate histories of werewolves and other supernaturals when he and his brother were under the tutelage of his parents. It was the only history that mattered.

He went to his car right after his final period ended, tossing his bag into the passenger seat. As he slid his frame into the car, he noticed a group of students seemingly watching him. Not pausing in his movement, he turned the ignition and turned on the radio. As he drove out of the parking lot, only then did he allow himself a glance. It was two boys, and two girls. The boys were perhaps slightly taller than he was, and both sported guarded, wary expressions. The girls were beautiful, one Asian with long shiny hair, and the other with flaming red hair. _So that's McCall's pack._

…

"He knew we were watching him." Stiles, Lydia, and Kira all quickly turned to him, questioning looks on their faces. Scott nodded his head repeatedly, chewing his lip. "I just know."

Stiles exhaled slowly. "New kid is another crazy. Anyone wanna guess who or what he is?"

Lydia spoke. "We follow him. Right?"

Everyone stared at her. "What? Isn't that what everyone does these days when a super-creature shows up around here?"

…

The second the bell rang, Scott was out the exit and sitting next to Stiles in his beat up jeep. The new kid-Xavier-didn't know what car they drove, so they figured it was an advantage.

Malia Tate emerged from the rear of the car and clambered in through the open back.

"Christ, Malia. What were you doing, cutting your nails?" She grinned widely and kissed Stiles before he could complain further.

"I'm here babydoll. Nice to see you too." She quickly stopped talking as Xavier exited the building and got into his own vehicle, parked in the exact same location as the previous day. "Who is this creep?"

"New kid. He's quiet, smart." Scott heard the words coming out of Stiles' mouth, but he kept all his focus of the other boy. Xavier drove slowly out of the lot. Slowly, but with assurance. Stiles quickly followed in the jeep.

…

"What the hell?" Scott leaned forward in his seat, straining against the seat belt. Xavier had parked the car and was now on the doorstep of Allison Argent's once unoccupied home.

Stiles had taken the care to park the car a block down, but Scott could easily see that Xavier had a key and had no problems getting into the large house.

He felt a pang. Kira was his girlfriend, and he loved her. But he had also loved Allison, and he missed her. He had always wondered whether he would ever love Kira the way he loved Allison. He had wondered if he could ever learn to live freely without her. Now he was being reminded of those fears.

…

Scott paced restlessly in his best friend's room. "Why is a guy we never heard about living in the Argent's old mansion after being empty for months?"

Stiles mulled his answer before responding. "Dunno bro. Maybe it was just for sale and we didn't know. Maybe he bought it."

"No way in hell. Lydia and her folks know everyone in this town. If that house was being sold, she would have known about it. Plus, we haven't seen Mr. Argent since…" His voice trailed off.

"Since _Derek_?" Stiles finished for him, an edge to his voice. "Think maybe there's a connection." He whipped around in his computer chair, sliding to where his rolling marker board stood. He scribbled down a few things. Scott saw him write "Xavier" and "Derek-Wolf," circling both phrases.

He felt exhausted, and it wasn't even late. They had just returned from the Argent's house. Scott had refused to call it Xavier's house.

They heard Malia bouncing up the stairs and sure enough, she burst into the room, holding a huge bag of chips in her hand. "So, Xavier has a fresh crib. What's so crazy about that?"

Scott bristled. Stiles mumbled something about Allison to her in a low tone. Malia kept chewing, her face unmoving.

Scott stood up. "I don't know any more than the rest of you. Maybe we should stop worrying about this." Ignoring Stiles' raised eyebrow, he headed for the stairs. "I'm sure something will end up making sense."

…

Stiles watched his friend leave the room. He turned to his girlfriend. "He's freaking out. He still thinks about her."

Malia grinned mischievously. "You need to stop thinking about him." Without another word, she pushed him against the wall and began kissing his neck.


	2. Strangers

Xavier was racking his brain, trying to process the waves of information that were rushing through his brain. He wasn't new to this whole thing. He had killed werewolves before. He and his family had hunted alphas and their packs all across Asia. One time, when he was 15, he was nearly killed by a ferocious beta when he was separated from his older brother. He had killed the beast, but it left him with a beating to remember it by.

Yet he had never thought a group like this was even possible.

Scott McCall. One of the few, if not only, true alpha werewolves ever. He once penetrated a barrier of mountain ash with sheer will.

Stiles Stilinski. A human, but Xavier knew better than to underestimate humans. Being a hunter taught you that from the start. In addition, McCall kept him around. He was integral to his pack, somehow, someway.

Malia Tate. Her real name was Malia Hale. Daughter of former alpha Peter Hale, and therefore the cousin of Derek Hale. The only conformed were-coyote in existence, she is still reputed to be integrating herself into human society.

Lydia Martin. A banshee; one of two in Beacon Hills, the other being Merideth Walker, a current resident in Eichen House. Her family is one of the wealthiest of Beacon Hill's residents. Like Stiles Stilinski, she is one of the most intelligent students at the local high school. Has an ability to detect deaths in the area.

Kira Yukimaura. A kitsune, her mother Noshiko was also one. Takes the form of a fox when looked upon by a wolf or under flash photography. Has powers associated with electrical absorption. Skilled with the use of a katana. Xavier cast a look at his own blade, leaning against the wall. The make was Japanese, which his father's side had brought into the Cho clan many years before him. She had arrived at Beacon Hills less than a year ago enrolling at the high school for the previous semester.

The young hunter frowned. He had thought that he was already well educated on the recent history about Beacon Hills, yet the internet almost immediately rejected that theory. As he scrolled through the dozens of news articles regarding the tragic events that haunted the town, he could feel himself getting disturbed. He could piece much of the information together, connecting them to the stories of Jackson Whittemore being a creature known as the Kanima, or the legend of Deucalion and his Alpha wolf pack. Jennifer Blake the Druid. The Deadpool assassins. Kate Argent the Werejaguar. Whatever the fuck that was, even.

And somehow, Scott McCall and his friends had survived through all of them. He could feel his respect raising, and he allowed a smile of appreciation. He wasn't here to kill McCall, at least not yet, but he still felt something in himself that he didn't feel often. Fear.

…

Everywhere Stiles went, he thought he saw the new kid. Beacon Hills High wasn't a big school, he reasoned. Seeing him was like seeing Lydia Martin or Scott-a constant. Yet the guy's presence bothered Stiles. It was like having an itch on one's back. You couldn't ignore it, or forget about it.

It was creepy. The guy was like a sonar. He seemed to know every time Stiles or any of his friends was nearby. And every time Stiles' eyes met his, he could see the distrust, the wariness the boy exerted.

"Guys," Stiles told his friends one day at lunch. "I think the new kid is a werewolf. He's crazy. He knows whenever I enter the room without looking. Were-wolfy."

His friends surprisingly regarded this theory more seriously than they had his last one regarding Derek being a savage wolf. "You're sure dude?" Scott asked, his mouth full of burger.

Stiles nearly choked on his own food as he nodded his head vigorously. He made a mental note to stop forcing both himself and his dad to eat that stuff. Veggies and burgers didn't work. "Seriously man. If I'm wrong, I'll eat five of these little torture patties."

Malia snorted. "If only you did that every time you were wrong."

As Kira choked on her food, snorting, Stiles continued. "Maybe he's an Alpha. He's quiet, brooding. Just like good ol' Derek. Maybe they know each other and hang in the woods!"

Everyone groaned. Kira however, looked thoughtful. "No Stiles, maybe you're onto someth-"

Stiles smashed his fist on the table, shaking it so hard that someone's burger bounced off onto the floor. Malia looked at it, crushed. When she thought no one was looking, she quickly scooped it up and shoved it into her mouth.

Stiles cringed, but he quickly moved on. "Thank you! Finally someone recognized all my hard work even though I would never really give much of a damn about freaking Derek-"

Kira coughed. "Actually, Sheriff Stilinski, I meant the part about Xavier being a wolf. Maybe he is an Alpha. That guy is sharp. Maybe he has really heightened senses, like Scott."

Stiles opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. Instead, he nodded. Scott looked thoughtful. "You guys seem sure. But we can't talk to him. Not about all that kind of stuff. What if, _just _what if he's just another regular student?"

Stiles looked at the ground and muttered to himself, "Then you can bite him. Maybe we'll all get lucky and he's a _just _a kanima instead."

…

The small ball sailed high, and Kira leapt up and snagged it into her net. She wasn't a lycan, but her training and kitsune genes made lacrosse come easily due to her natural athleticism. She wielded the stick like a sword, an extension of her body. Dodging opponents left and right, she spun and sent the ball past the goalkeeper's head and into the net.

The whistle blew, and numerous heads turned, as over six boys tried to figure out how on earth she eluded them all to score the game winner. Before she could cherish the moment, Stiles and Scott hoisted her into the air. She squealed as Scott smacked her helmet affectionately.

…

Xavier sat watching the game from the corner of the bleachers. He pulled a black beanie over his carefully spiked hair. It was probably a good idea to do so, as McCall and his crew were already somewhat wary of him. Better not to be seen by them anywhere besides classes. He tried to watch the game carefully, but it was hard. He found lacrosse intriguing, but he preferred another sport back home.

His neighbor turned to him. "Back in my high school days, we played basketball. Now that's a real sport." He smiled wide, a dangerous look to him; coupled with the sunglasses he wore despite the fact that it was already dark. His teeth glinted, the field lights reflecting off of them.

A cool gust of wind blew past, and the stranger tucked his hands into his leather jacket. Well, he wasn't exactly a stranger. Xavier didn't turn. "So you aren't in Mexico. I've been wrong before."

Derek Hale laughed softly. "No. No, I have too much going on here. I have a pack to look after. So, what are _you _doing in Beacon Hills?"

Xavier ignored him. It was time to leave. He just hoped that the alpha would allow him, quietly.

…

Malia smelled him before she saw him. Jerking her head around, she caught a tall man in a leather jacket leaving the game. Something told her not to follow, and she did not. The scent was familiar though…she just couldn't piece it to whomever she smelled it from; it was just a whiff. Feeling only mildly disturbed, Malia refocused her attention back to her friends celebrating.

…

Derek made his way to his black Camaro, parked right next to the scrap hunk that Stiles called a jeep. He considered scratching the side of the door, but decided against him. A more dramatic entry would be more satisfying.

He sighed. Uncle Peter would be mocking him right now. He _did _enjoy the spotlight. He enjoyed being so powerful, more powerful than even a true alpha. He drummed his fingers over his car roof, careful not to extend his claws and damage the sports car. No, Scott didn't need to be aware of his return, not yet. The boy needed to know who was still the dominant alpha.

…

They had won 3-2. Scott scored once and Kira had the other two while Stiles had the whole game watched from the bench. Kira loved the attention she received for her great play, but it did not come close to the attention she had right now. The attention of her boyfriend.

Scott pulled off his shirt and eased onto the bed with her. She ran her hands over his bicep, tracing the cylindrical tattoo with her fingers. She never liked that tattoo to be honest, and often wondered what motivated him to get it. She was also curious as to how he got it. Werewolves healed quickly from injuries. How did the artist ink him without the wounds closing up?

She nibbled at his ear, then tried her best imitation at a husky whisper. "Hey, you never told me about your tattoo."

Scott glanced at it. "Oh. Oh. Well. I actually don't know why I chose it. Getting the tattoo is a meaning all to itself."

That made absolutely no sense to Kira, but she tried to roll with it. "Oh yeah! For sure! What do Stiles and your mom think about it?"

Grinning like a child, Scott answered gleefully. "Stiles hates it." _I wonder why…_

Refusing to let her smile slip off of her face, she returned her attention to Scott's arms, then his chest, running her hands across it lightly. His abs felt rock hard. He tensed, flexing the muscles, then relaxed as he slowly exhaled. "You like it?"

"Yes, yes I do. Keep going." His eyes were closed, his tone blissful. She obliged him.

…

Xavier was feeling murderous. Everything was getting out of hand. He tore off his leather jacket and hurled it across the room, where it landed harmlessly on the couch. He jammed a hand into the pocket of his dark blue jeans, but came up empty.

He cursed. His phone was in his jacket, all the way across the room, where he had thrown it. He was totally losing it. He closed his eyes tight, sitting down on the hardwood floor. He needed to calm down. The Argent's house was quiet, and eerily dark, but he liked it that way. It felt private, safe. The darkness was soothing.

He came here to scope out Beacon Hills. His father knew the Nemeton was there, and active. At some point, supernaturals were bound to show up. However, he didn't come here to get caught in between Scott McCall and Derek Hale. And both of them already were onto him. He was in trouble.

He took a deep breath, knowing he had to compose himself before contacting his father. Retrieving his phone from his jacket, he dialed.

His father picked up on the second ring. "X."

"Derek Hale has returned to Beacon Hills. And I know that both he and McCall are watching me. They suspect something."

His father chuckled, sending a jolt of irritation down Xavier's spine. "Suspect what? That you're a werewolf? In that case, your gun is already loaded. Fire when ready, _boy_, and make sure you do it right. I would recommend putting it in your mouth."

_Don't joke about that. _Xavier swallowed the lump that was building in his throat. "This is _dangerous_, sir. Where is Matt? I need him here."

His father's response both shocked and angered him. "You do not tell me what you need. Matt is busy, he has duties. So do you. Your older brother is not on this earth to handle your pathetic problems for you. You are a Cho and I expect you to try and act like one. Now get with the program or do you need to be _replaced_?"

Xavier slammed the phone against the wall, too angry to speak. He hung his head. He knew his father would say that, and yet he still reacted. He was afraid, and alone.

Suddenly, he looked up. Maybe not exactly alone.


	3. Not the only Alpha

The Argent's house looked abandoned, but appearances can be decieving. Derek and Cora Hale stood outside on the opposite side of the street, watching the young hunter as he slipped his phone back into his pocket.

"A Cho? I thought their territory was strictly in Asia." Cora's tone was blunt, almost disinterested.

Derek shrugged. "That's what we thought about the Calaveras. I guess it was due time for the final family to send in an operative."

Cora turned, a questioning look to her face.

"The Cho family is part of the High Creed of Hunters. Along with the Argents and the Calaveras, the Cho's family line dates back as far as our own. The Argents, with the exception of Kate and Gerard, have always been the honorable ones. The Cho's and the Calaveras don't quite play the same way." Derek could feel his sister's attention focusing on his words. "They don't play fair, and they play to win."

Cora waved her hand in the air. "They're just another group of hunters. And he's just another stupid kid."

Derek grabbed her arm. "I'm serious Cora." A twig snapped under his shoe as he shifted his weight towards her. "He's not like Scott or the others. I've heard of his father. Ryan Cho is the man who drove Deucalion and his alphas out of Asia, to Beacon Hills. The man is savage."

She yanked her arm out of his grip. Her eyes had widened slightly after the mention of Deucalion, the self-proclaimed Demon Wolf, but she kept her face stoic. Cora was one tough customer, and she prided herself for being so. No one, not even her brother was going to make her otherwise. "I can take care of myself, Derek. We can take care of each other."

"Then please, take care of your own business, alone." Xavier had been inside the house. Now he stood across the street.

Cora jumped. Derek, on the other hand, seemed unbothered. "Kid, go back into the house. This doesn't concern you."

Xavier didn't budge. "For all your heightened senses, you sure can't hear worth a damn. I said leave." As he finished his last word, his hand twitched towards his belt, where the barrel of a handgun was barely visible.

Derek smiled tauntingly at him, but he turned to leave, Cora following. "You're sweating Xavier," he tossed over his shoulder.

A sharp click of a pistol hammer cocking triggered his instincts and he whirled around, claws out. But Xavier had not moved. Behind him, Derek heard Cora let out a low whistle. "He totally punked you there."

…

Scott stood under the shower, letting the water cascade around his body, the spray enveloping him like a cloud of mountain ash. The hot water pelted his skin, almost unbearably hot for any human. Though it was his friend who would vocally state his curiosity for the matter, Scott had to admit that he was thinking about Derek as well. Perhaps he gave it even more thought than any of his friends. It was unnerving.

He cranked up the water temperature, even though his skin was already a raw pink. He lost track of how long he was in there. He needed to think.

He was barely passing any of his tough classes in school, the lacrosse team was overall struggling, as Liam was not yet cleared to return to practice, and this whole complexion regarding the new kid, and him living at Allison's house was _killing _him. No need to bring Derek into that shitstorm.

Scott shook his head, sending water droplets spraying everywhere. He couldn't get his mind off her. He heard his phone vibrate faintly from his bedroom. He knew it was Kira. She probably was texting him a sweet message, or maybe asking for help with an assignment. He ignored the phone, opting to stay in the warmth of the stall. He was slammed by a wave of guilt, for he was ignoring his girlfriend due to his thinking about his former one.

He let out a cry. Slammed his palms against his ears. Maybe he had to talk to her about this. _Not yet. Its pointless, and I don't want to hurt her. Maybe not ever._

...

The alarm code beeped and the door slid open as smoothly as one could have hoped for. Cora looked around. "That's new."

The weapons Braeden had brought to Derek's loft still remained on the wooden table placed in the middle of the lower space. Derek looked them over. "Yeah, she never quite moved out, did she?"

Cora cocked her eyebrow. "Wanna tell me about her?"

Derek closed his eyes, as if he was picturing her in his head. "Tough, smart fast. Fast with a gun. And great in bed."

Cora snorted loudly. "No way in hell I ever date someone who carries half their weight in guns. Let alone sleep with them." She looked him over. Derek only smiled and shrugged, tilting his head towards the ceiling, like he was daydreaming. "You're insane."

…

A loud groan punctuated the sound in Mr. Yukimura's classroom. Scott glanced at the history quiz, and then crumpled it in his fist. From his spot behind him, Stiles could still clearly see the 67 written in red ink at the corner.

_Since when is history hard? _Stiles thought, and then saw Scott notice the grade still showing on his paper. He angrily smashed it up and tore it into pieces. He was obviously thinking the same thing. Then, as if he knew what Stiles was thinking, he glared at him.

Stiles gulped, averting his gaze. From behind him, Mr. Yukimura wisecracked, "Scott, if you're going to pretend that you're an actor in a Shakespearean tragedy, try not to make it a comedy for everyone else."

No one laughed. Kira sank down into her seat, mortified. If Scott didn't regret dating her, he probably did now.

…

Xavier wanted to groan aloud just as Scott McCall had done a minute ago. One doesn't sit in the back left corner just to draw attention to himself, but the 76 written in red ink on his paper seemed like a pretty good reason to break cover at the moment.

He glanced over to his right, where Kira Yukimura had her head buried in her wool sweater, her hair still protruding from the opening. "Don't be too embarrassed. My dad can be pretty brutal too." He wasn't sure whether Mr. Yukimura beat his daughter when she displeased him, but he figured it was a relatively safe bet that she would take it the intended way.

Kira poked her head out of her sweater and gave him a weak smile. He found himself smiling back. "Does your dad unintentionally embarrass you in front of everyone on a routine yet unpredictable basis?"

Xavier didn't know what to say. "Uh, no. I guess he doesn't." _He does it quite intentionally. _"But at least your friends find it funny, right?"

She sighed, waving her hand for added effect. "Maybe for them. I hate it." She laughed nervously, sounding a lot like Stiles, and then blushed furiously.

Xavier didn't answer back right away. He was wary of saying too much. Perhaps Kira noticed this, because she then said, "My friends and I are hitting up the ice rink tonight. You wanna come with us? I think a lot of people from the school are going. Sort of a "back to school" kind of thing after the winter break."

He almost said no.

He was busy, and he liked to keep to himself. But from the friendly way she asked, it was hard to say no. "Sure, thank you," he responded, noticing that Scott McCall had overheard and was smiling at him.

Maybe he could learn something about them. Or from them.

…

"I hope you don't mind me inviting Xavier," Kira spoke in a rush, as if she was afraid he'd be angry.

"Of course its ok, " Scott laughed. He had gotten used to his girlfriend's insecurities about pleasing him by now. Leaning in to kiss her, he added, "He seems like a decent guy."

She didn't answer, and he didn't push her for one.

…

Scott felt a pang the second he stepped onto the ice. Memories flashed. He was at the ice rink. Allison was with him and she was trying to teach him how to skate. She wore a white and black sweater and dark leggings. He had fallen countless times and nearly concussed himself on the safety barrier.

"Scott?"

He blinked several times. _Kira _was here with him not Allison. She wore a maroon sweater with a matching beanie. _Not Allison. _Scott chided himself for the lapse in concentration. He hoped he hadn't ignored her for long.

He forced a smile on his face. "Sorry, zoned out."

As they skated around the rink, they caught sight of Stiles trying to coax a skeptical Malia onto the ice. "Its easy, just, well, just skate."

"Easy for you," she grouched. "I bet I'd look like Scott."

Scott looked at his feet. Sure, he wasn't the best skater, but he wasn't bad. He looked at Kira to see if she noticed, but she was looking at the ceiling, fighting what looked to be a smile.

He gave her a soft shove, causing her to yelp and grab onto his waist. They both laughed, holding each other for support and warmth.

"I really love you," she whispered as she buried her face in his chest.

"Yeah," Scott smiled. He didn't think about Allison. "Me too."

…

Derek Hale was not entirely surprised when he entered his loft and found the boy Xavier standing over the center table, still piled on with weaponry. Cora wasn't so prepared, and she let out a low growl, both out of surprise and anger.

"What the hell is this little prick doing here?" she snarled. Xavier didn't respond; he didn't even turn his head to acknowledge them.

Derek strode up behind him. "I really need to upgrade the security to this place it seems."

"I heard it's had its share of break-ins." Xavier's tone was even, serious. If there was any mocking intent in his statement, neither werewolf could detect it. "I didn't know you were a gun kind of guy."

"He's not." Cora still looked angry.

"Look, I'm not here to fight. In fact, I would be foolish to pick one right now."

"Damn right." Cora smirked.

Xavier closed his eyes tight, but he continued without much of a pause. "If we're going to watch each other within the confines of both our homes, I'll be straight with you two. I'm here to keep an eye on the crew at Beacon Hills High."

Derek was intrigued. "Why? Was the Demon Wolf not enough fun for the Great Ryan Cho?"

Now it was Xavier's turn to smirk. "Please. Deucalion is far from the only so-called Demon Wolf on the block. There are other alphas, strong ones. You and I both know that. The Nemeton will draw them here, and you will be in danger. Both of us. All of us," he corrected, glancing at Cora.

She appraised him seriously, possibly for the first time since they met. "Why an Alpha? Why not another creature?"

Xavier looked her in the eye. The moon shined through the window, giving her olive skin a unique shade. "I think both you two and Scott have given druids and kanimas enough reason to stay away. Alphas aren't so easy. You're kind are smart and powerful. Call it…a challenge of sorts."

With that he walked out the door.

Derek watched him go. He turned to his younger sister. "I hope he's right. I'm more powerful than any alpha. That will be a lot of fun."

Cora squeezed his arm. It was the most affectionate gesture he had gotten from his sister in years and likely the most affectionate one he would ever receive from her. "I know, Derek."


	4. The (New?) Kid

The school bell rang, and Scott made a mental note not to sit so close to the damn thing in class. Werewolf ears, however refined, were still pretty sensitive to loud, ringing sounds and Scott didn't want to invite a headache before the inevitable one that would arise by the end of practice.

He blinked several times in quick succession, as if that would help clear his head. And perhaps it didn't, because as he entered Coach Finstock's office, he was seriously wondering if he was hallucinating.

Isaac Lahey sat across from Finstock's desk, lacing up his cleats, and as Scott walked in, he gave him a wolfish grin.

Shocked, Scott glanced at his coach, wondering if more wolfsbane had somehow gotten in his whistle, like it had the previous semester when they stayed at the haunted hotel. No, this was real.

Coach Finstock didn't address him, he was too busy talking to his new player, excitedly waving his arms and gesturing towards the field.

He felt a jolt on his back and realized that Kira had walked right into him, her mouth gaping wide, eyes fixated on Isaac.

He grabbed her, leading her towards the corner of the locker room. The lacrosse team was always a bit of a struggle for Kira because there was no gender divide. The team dressed in the same room. Greenberg still had bruises on his face from where Scott and Stiles had punched him after he tried to feel her up.

Naturally, Scott's fist had left a bigger mark.

"What, is he doing here?" she hissed. "He kind of, you know, _left _since last year?!"

"I don't know. I don't like that way he looked at me when I saw him. But I'm happy he's back. Maybe he's gotten over Allison's death. I can't say the same." He turned away, ashamed. Mentioning his old flame to Kira felt like a shitty thing to do.

Kira didn't seem to mind. "Its ok. I miss her too, and I didn't know her like you two had." She leaned in to kiss him, but forgot she already had her helmet on.

"Ow! Damnit, Kira!" Scott grabbed at his mouth where her head cage had hit him.

Kira was mortified. Her mouthpiece slipped out of her gaping mouth and got stuck somewhere in her chinstrap.

It didn't help matters that Finstock had seen the whole thing. "And that's why relationships can get in the way of a team's aspirations. Distractions and injuries! I'd donate my last remaining testicle just to keep you both healthy for the season! McCall, get that fixed up, your chin is cut."

Scott slouched away to get an ice pack. Kira started to follow him, but Stiles grabbed her. "Let him be. The Alpha by needs his own time to cry. C'mon, lets get out of the field."

Kira smiled, grateful that she had multiple friends on the team. She hurried after him, trying unsuccessfully to free her mouthguard from her chinstrap.

…

Stiles felt good. He was doing well in practice. Of course, that just meant that he wasn't getting smashed up, or dropping passes, and he delivering some decent defensive hits. But it was a start.

It had been a shock to see Isaac again. Stiles liked the guy, but Isaac was a bit too intense for Stiles, and it could get uncomfortable. That's why he fit in with Derek a lot better than he did with him.

He was good though. Almost as good as Liam. Better than Scott, and maybe as good as Jackson had been before he left Beacon Hills to star in that other TV show.

As he thought about it, he reached up with his stick to snag a pop fly. "Go Stilinski! To the goal! To the win! For our Independence!" Coach Finstock yelled, even though it was just a practice scrimmage.

Stiles began running, planting a cleat into the ground and dodging a pair of potential defenders. Now all that was left was Greenberg. Stiles grinned.

The next thing he knew, he was airborne, the ball slipping out of his net. He flew into Greenberg and the two of them plowed into the net, denting the framework. Three sharp whistle blasts helped bring him back to reality.

"Stiles! Stiles! You good dude?" Scott's face entered his direct vision.

Stiles groaned and allowed his friend to prop him up. From behind him, he could hear Finstock mumbling, "Well, he almost scored…we'll take that for now, I guess…"

Stiles looked up, only to realize that Isaac Lahey had been the one to run him down and deliver the huge hit. It was the hardest hit he'd ever been dealt.

Stiles blinked, and tried to rub his eyes, only succeeding in smacking his facemask. Those were the _reddest_ eyes he'd had seen since…

…

Isaac knew he was starting to wolf out. He closed his eyes and slowed down his heartbeat. He was a powerful, experienced beta, but Adam had told him that it was a whole different process in learning how to control his new body. He smiled to himself. He loved his knew body, and the challenge it came with.

The look of Scott McCall's face was almost as rewarding as the hit. The surprise, and the fear was almost like eating a tasty meal.

He reached out his hand, offering to help his old friend up, but Scott looked away, opting to pick Stiles off the ground himself. Isaac felt his smile vanish, but he wasn't angry. He was just getting started.

…

The sun had gone down and the day was over, but the pain Scott and Stiles were feeling from practice had yet to show a sign of dying down. They had been lying in various places at Scott's house for the past hour, as Melissa McCall alternated from getting the boys ice to giving them massages.

"Seriously, did you guys decide to have a wrestling tournament with weapons or something? Like the WWE guys do on TV?" Melissa was concerned, but also amused.

"Uh, you weren't there. And it's my turn for a massage." Stiles whined, holding two bags of ice against his groin.

Melissa pretended not to hear him. "Mom," Scott said. "It was Isaac. He's back. And he's all crazy now. I think he's an alpha."

Stiles twisted so he was facing both mother and son. "He _is _an alpha. You saw those eyes. Redder than tomato soup. We don't know how he got that way. What _I _know is that he hits harder than Derek ever did."

Scott groaned. "There you go again, bringing that guy up. I don't think your theories are true, nor do I want you to try and convince me."

To his surprise, Stiles nodded seriously, while subtly trying to tug Melissa over for a massage. "No, I think you're right. But bet on this-" Scott stifled a groan-"Derek will be back. Isaac's presence guarantees it."

…

"No way. You're not shitting me?" Lydia was stunned, though perhaps not quite as stunned as her friends had been. She quickly assessed Malia's words. "Well, if he really hit Stiles that hard, I'd say he's definitely an alpha."

As Malia nodded in agreement, Lydia smacked her lips. It was a tell, a sign she was deep in thought. "Well, we can't do anything about it right now. What I do want to know is where he's staying."

Malia didn't need to think. "Derek's place?"

Lydia snapped her fingers, making her friend flinch in surprise. "If he's back, quite possibly. If he isn't, Isaac could still be there. It'll be empty, after all."

Malia pressed her lips together. She was probably the least concerned, but she had never been very much of a worrier. "We'll check it out soon, then" she said briskly. "I'm going to see Stiles."

Lydia cocked an eyebrow. "Do you still sleep at his place?"

Malia grinned. "That's what mates do. Duh."

Lydia scoffed. "I'm single, ok? Go away, coyote-girl."

…

Cora approached her older brother, who was sitting on his bed, fiddling with a handgun. He slid the magazine out of the handle, and pushed it back it. He cocked the hammer and snapped the safety on.

"Put that shit down," she ordered.

Derek didn't look up. "I don't order you around. I think that's a two-way agreement." He then slid the magazine back out, as if to take a subtle dig at her.

She sighed, raising her hands in a sign of surrender. Derek knew not to take it too lightly. Cora never surrendered. "Whatever. But I think you should know that Isaac is back in Beacon Hills."

If Derek was surprised, he didn't show it. "You sure?"

Cora bristled. "I liked that kid. He was better than all the other stupid teenagers you liked to keep around; him and Boyd. Those two had what it took to keep up and survive. And yeah, I'm sure. You haven't smelled him?"

Derek declined to answer directly. "Scott's a true alpha. He got his power and he didn't need to kill anyone to get it."

Cora scoffed. "That's weak. That's like getting strong by looking up a cheat code on the fucking internet. If you can't take a life, you don't deserve the power to do so. Not by any means or in any way."

"You jealous?"

"Hell yeah I am. I wouldn't think twice about using that power if I had it."

"Cora, don't touch Scott." Derek was serious, even threatening.

His not-so-little sister shot back, "I won't, don't piss your pants. I'm just telling the truth. You know I'm right."

Derek slid the magazine back into the pistol. "Maybe."

…

In truth, Derek had already known that Isaac had returned. He had caught the scent ever since he had woken up that day. It was hard to miss. Out of all his betas, current or former, he had by far liked Isaac the most. He was the most loyal, and the toughest. But what endeared him to Derek was the boy that lurked inside; the still-broken and emotionally weak teenager. Derek had vowed to protect him, and he had failed.

Derek growled to himself softly. He would get to the bottom of this. If Isaac was here to stay, he was going to be there for him.


	5. Meet My Pack

"He may not even be here," Malia admitted, "but Lydia and I were talking and this is probably the best place to start."

Lydia nodded in agreement. She had planned to hit the vault first, where Cora, Boyd, and Erica were held captive by the alpha pack. She figured it would spare everyone the pressure of returning to Derek's loft. She also doubted that Isaac was here, but they needed to clear out every possibility.

Scott and Malia both sniffed the air, and both of then perked their heads. "I don't know if he's here, but he was, at some point."

They split up. Stiles and Malia went towards the vault. Kira and Scott headed towards the rafters. Lydia began to follow them, but she suddenly froze. The voices were back in her head.

…

Scott and Kira had reached the second floor and they found themselves in the storage closet where the alphas had discarded Erica's body. It had been a good while, but Scott could still pick out her lingering traces.

…

The vault was empty, though there were bits of mountain ash scattered across the ground, mostly in the corners. The ropes that were used to bind Dr. Deaton were still there. Malia closed her eyes, delving into her sharpened sense. "Nothing."

Stiles cursed softly. Running his hands through his hair, he spoke what Lydia and Malia had already knew. "Then he's at the loft."

"Didn't he at one point live here? Why isn't he home?"

Stiles shook his head. "Isaac had a bad relationship with his father. When he was killed, the house was seized. Even if he could return there, he wouldn't because of all the horrible memories he has of that place."

As Malia opened her mouth to question what kind of memories, she was interrupted by a scream.

…

The voices were haunting. They hurt, and terrified her. Lydia sank to her knees, her shoulders quaking, her hands tugging at her immaculate red hair. She had seen them. They had killed him.

"Lydia!" Stiles voices knocked her out of her torpor. He came in running, almost as fast as a werewolf could. Malia was right behind him. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Scott and Kira hurrying down the stairs, wards her.

"It was Issac. I saw him. They killed him." She tried to slow down her heartbeat, but it only seemed to rise in frequency. Scott grabbed her around the shoulders and hugged her hard.

He was warm, and it calmed her. "Don't worry. You're fine," he growled. "Is that all you saw? Isaac was killed?"

Lydia nodded hurriedly, then shook it. "No! They killed! Isaac didn't die!"

Stiles sucked in air between his teeth loudly. "The loft? Or another day?"

Malia eyed her friend. "Tomorrow. We can do it tomo-"

Lydia cut her off. "Today. I don't want to sit around thinking about it all night. Lets figure it out."

Kira broke in, her voice concerned, "Lydia, we don't even know if he's there. Tomorrow is fine."

Scott clapped his hands together out of anxiety. "No. Lydia's right. We should clear the loft and then plan our next move tonight, if need be."

…

It took the combined strength of Scott, Malia, and Stiles to yank Derek's loft door off of its hinge, breaking the locking mechanism in the process. They entered into the room cautiously. There was no Isaac in sight.

"Not here," Malia mused, but Scott held up his hand to silence her. He smelled something…

"Indeed Malia. He's not here." Derek stood on the second floor overlooking the ground floor of his loft. His hand gripped the railing, forearms bulging as he leaned slightly over the edge. He wore an amused facial expression as he regarded the group of friends, all of whom seemed more surprised to see him than he would have expected.

Well, almost all of them. "I knew we'd find you here, _Miguel._" Stiles called out. He sounded almost triumphant.

Derek groaned inwardly at the mention of that name, recalling the embarrassing moment where Stiles had manipulated him into seducing a gay classmate in order to gain a favor from the poor kid. He hoped that Cora would not have the memory to inquire about it later. That would be unbearable.

Scott stepped forward. "Derek, you're back. I can't believe it."

Cora appeared behind them, yanking the metal door shut. Scott whirled around to face her. "Stupid as ever, kid!" She spat the words out with contempt. "All of you. Always pretending you know what's best, then wasting time pretending to come up with plans." She turned to face each of them in turn. "But all you do is waste. You waste time, energy, and power."

"Can you _not _be super negative and depressing all the time?" Stiles quipped. She glared at him, causing him to scoot back behind Malia as subtly as he could.

Derek smacked the railing with both of his hands, causing everyone to fall silent and look at him. "Cora, back away from them." Still glaring she complied.

"Scott, Isaac is back in town, and he's an alpha. We don't know why, but I intend to find out because he's MY beta. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you I returned, and I'm sorry it hurt your little feelings. But I need you, and more importantly, you need me."

Scott didn't need to mull it over. "As long as we don't hurt him, I'll do anything to help." Behind him, he heard Cora snort. He ignored her. "Isaac is family to us."

Derek nodded in agreement. "So let's adopt him." _God, that was cheesy_.

…

Isaac ran effortlessly, faster than he ever had as a beta. Leaves rustled below his feet, his steps too fast and too soft for them to crunch. He liked this. All the power, the confidence it gave him.

A low howl nocked him out of his thoughts and he began to slow as he neared Beacon Hills creek. As he skidded to a stop, he saw that everyone else was already there. Four sets of blood-red eyes glared at him as he approached.

A year ago, the sight of a pair of those would have scared him shitless, but he wasn't scared now. Not anymore.

"Isaac. How nice of you to join us." A tall male stepped towards him, not in a menacing way, but relaxed. "You're not late, worry not. However, I must ask you how school went. Your first day back. First impressions are important."

Isaac raised his eyebrow. "I already know those guys, Adam."

Adam barked a short laugh. He was handsome, not young, but not old. His skin was very pale and unwrinkled, making his eyes stand out even more. "But they didn't know you. They didn't know the new you. First impressions, my son."

Isaac shuffled his feet slightly, a tad unnerved under the intensity of the other wolf's gaze. "They were surprised. Shocked. Maybe even a little scared."

Adam smiled, totally relaxed. "Excellent. Come forth, my friends. No need to play hide and seek."

A woman sidled up behind the pale alpha and caressed him seductively. "Evelyn, not here, especially in front of the children."

She stepped away, pretending to pout. "Fine."

Isaac quickly tore his gaze away. Though she appeared to be as old as Adam, likely mid-thirties, Evelyn was still stunningly beautiful. Of course, both of them were much older that they looked, but one would never know by appearances. Her long brown hair drew nearly as much attention as Adam's pale skin. She was slim, harmless-looking, but only a foolish combatant would mistake her for being easy prey.

Roan was almost as young as Isaac, but slightly shorter and stockier. Perhaps twenty years old at most, he was deceptively friendly. Isaac was convinced that he was second-to-last in the social pecking order, only above him. Which suited him just fine. He wasn't a leader.

Cain was, in Isaac and Roan's opinion, the most terrifying of the group. Perhaps it was his large physique, or maybe his ill temper. Or maybe it was the fact that he had killed both of the packs he assembled in his time just to add to his power.

However, it was without a doubt to Isaac that Adam was the apex predator of the pack. This was the man who, along with Evelyn, nearly ended the long line of the Calavera hunters and turned Mexico into a Lycan breeding ground, before the Argents arrived and foiled his plans. This was a man who did not earn one's fear. He commanded it.

…

At the sound of the howl, both Derek and Scott whipped their heads around. It was faint, but it was most definitely that of a werewolf.

"What?" Cora asked. Malia shrugged; she hadn't heard it either.

Scott looked at Derek, who was clearly thinking the same thing. "Isaac," he breathed. He turned to Derek, who was already heading for the exit.

"Its coming from the woods," he confirmed.

…

The sounds of pounding feet, moving too quickly to be human alerted Xavier just in time. Hurling himself face first over his car hood saved him from being seen as Scott and Derek burst out of the building. The two alpha wolves ran, no, sprinted towards Beacon woods, harsh snarls perpetrating the sounds of their footfalls.

Xavier let out a breath he wasn't aware he had been holding. He hoped that the two wolves hadn't smelled him in their haste. He chided himself for parking so close to the loft entrance. He had been too curious about the possibility of Scott and his pack finding Derek this night. He parked closely for convenience. His father would have been furious, and embarrassed of him. The second part stung more.

Xavier hung his head briefly. He climbed into his car and ducked under the dashboard, effectively shrouding himself as Cora Hale and Malia tore out of the building, in hot pursuit of their alphas. He climbed back out of the car once they were out of sight. It may as well be worth investigating the loft before they returned. He would have some time to do so.

"Xavier?"

He squeezed his eyes shut. _Goddamn it. _He may as well just allow himself to be bitten; apparently he can't seem to do anything right. Slowly, he turned.

Kira and Lydia stood behind him, looking thoroughly confused. "What are you doing here?"

He considered lying. She seemed like a gullible one. Probably was. Even as he deduced this, however, he knew it was a futile gamble. Sooner or later, he would need the aid of these people. He needed to be in their good graces. And Lydia Martin wasn't the best person to try a desperate lie with.

"I was following you. All of you. I know about you and your powers, and I know Derek and Isaac have returned."

Lydia broke in, "A better question. _Who _are you?"

_Smart girl. _"Xavier Cho. Son of Ryan and Natalie Cho. Younger brother of Matt Cho, and apparently, a lesser one too." Saying that last part hurt.

Lydia and Kira looked at him, oblivious. Xavier sighed. "Look, the Cho clan is one of the three great were-hunter families. The stuff that's happened here has not gone unnoticed, not by a long shot. My father sent me here to keep tabs of all of you."

"Clearly, you're doing an excellent job," Lydia commented dryly. To her surprise, Xavier laughed.

"I guess you're right, yeah. I did say lesser, didn't I? The point is, I'm not looking for trouble. I'm just doing as I'm told. And I have no reason to target Scott McCall. He hasn't given me one."

Kira bristled at his last sentence. "You're no match for Scott."

Xavier didn't bat an eye. "Are you a match, for Allison Argent?"

Kira shrank back, as if he slapped her. Xavier bowed his head slightly, a look of mild regret on his face. "Scott McCall doesn't need need not fear me."

Kira forced a sad smile onto her face. "I hope so." She glanced into his car, noticing an elegant katana lying across the dashboard. Before she could question him about it, he slid himself into the vehicle.

"I'm sorry for following you. As I said, I'm just doing as I'm told."

…

As Xavier drove away, Lydia let out a slow whistle. "Talk about a bit of a misfit."

Kira looked at her questioningly.

"He looks like a hunter. Brooding, calm, and he's definitely skilled. But once he opens his mouth, he doesn't have the attitude. He's not like Allison or her father at all."

Kira could only shake her head.

Lydia continued after getting no response. "He's cute though." Seeing Kira smile, she went on, "and if you're comparing hair, he's more than a match for Scott."


	6. Knowing When You're In Control

Scott and Derek tore through the woods, zigzagging through throngs of trees, racing each other as they moved towards the source of the howl.

Scott could hear Malia and Cora some ways behind them, the two betas moving quickly themselves, keeping up. He was glad they were there. Derek was a great fighter, but the more backup they had, the better, especially since Isaac was now an alpha himself.

The scent was growing stronger, and Scott was nervous. He could sense that Derek was also anxious. He could hear the way the other alpha's breaths were short and unsteady; just like how he gulped in air before taking the field in a lacrosse game. Like butterflies in his stomach.

Perhaps his thoughts distracted him some, because for an instant the smell became overwhelmingly strong, and them an arm materialized out of the darkness and close-lined him. Hard.

Scott went airborne. His vison blurred as his body spun through the air, but he did see Derek dodge a form that was definitely the source of the smell. Isaac.

His lower back smashed into a thick tree trunk, and he saw stars. The pain wasn't too bad, but he was winded. As his senses cleared, he heard snarls coming from various sources.

His eyesight cleared and he took in the scene. Derek stood, facing down two werewolves. One was undoubtedly Isaac. The other was about Scott's size, but slightly older. Cora and Malia were both on their knees, battered from the same ambush that had felled him.

Adrenaline pumped through Scott's veins and he was on his feet in a flash, flanking the two assailants. Isaac spun to face him. Scott balanced on his feet, waiting for his former friend to make a move.

Isaac lunged, almost too fast to see. His arm moved in a blur as he aimed a downward swipe at Scott. Scott blocked the blow easily, and he countered, landing a solid punch to Isaac's shoulder. The taller alpha went flying, but he managed to land on all fours. Scott glanced to his left and saw Derek pummeling the other wolf, who, like Isaac, was clearly an alpha. He was strong, but Derek clearly had the upper hand.

A snarl alerted Scott just in time as he ducked a vicious swing my Isaac, who followed up by sweeping Scott's feet from under him. Scott quickly rolled away towards safety as Isaac pressed his advantage, lunging forward, only to be intercepted. Derek had thrown the other wolf, and the man plowed into Isaac, sending both alphas straight into the unforgiving bulk of a huge oak tree. Both lay still, momentarily winded.

"Isaac!" Derek roared. Even with his new status as a true alpha, Scott knew Derek was still the superior fighter. Judging from the look on Isaac's face he knew it too. "Isaac. What are you doing back here? And who is he?"

Isaac and his companion climbed to their feet. The former beta flexed his claws and growled in defiance. Derek braced himself. "Don't try it."

A slow clap interrupted Derek, seeming to come in from all directions. The sound was abnormally loud, echoing, ringing in Scott's ears. Scott whirled around, trying to locate where the sound was coming from, but it was impossible. It was as if he was hearing Chris Argent's sonic emitters.

Another alpha werewolf emerged from the shadows, alone. Both Scott and Derek turned to face him. "Stand down," Adam commanded, his voice full of authority and control. Isaac and his companion immediately dropped their arms, relaxing.

Adam walked right up to Derek. Well, he almost sauntered. The cockiness of the action surprised Scott. Few had the moxie to approach an alpha like this, let alone Derek Hale. Yet this wolf, moved with an assurance that reminded Scott of Deucalion, the leader of the alpha pack that lay siege to their county months before.

"Derek Hale. You look like your mother. Talia. She was quite an alpha. I hear you are as well."

Derek was momentarily taken back, but he recovered quickly. "You know me, but I don't know you. I believe you owe me as much."

The older alpha smiled. "I don't owe you anything. I am gifting you knowledge. But tell me first, where is your uncle Peter? He is well, I hope?"

Derek snorted. "He's in Eichen House, under watch. Not to leave."

The alpha cracked a sideways smile. "Ah, good. I never liked that man anyways. Too sassy, too foolish. My name is Adam. Perhaps little Deucalion mentioned me?"

Derek tilted his head sideways. "He made no such mention."

Adam made a tsk sound with his teeth, pretending to look hurt. "I wouldn't have expected him to. That man always wanted to be the dominant alpha. That wasn't going to happen with both myself and your mother around." He began slowly pacing back and forth in front of Derek and Scott. "And you. Scott. The true alpha I've been hearing about?"

Scott bared his teeth, on guard. "Yes. What have you done with Isaac? How did you find him?"

Adam gave him a curious look. "How does one find trouble in Beacon Hills? It seems to me, that the culprit is _fate._ Isaac found me, and I, him. It was meant to be. As was your transformation into a beta, and then an alpha. As was your friend's death at the blade of an Oni."

At the mention of Allison, Scott's blood got hot. His body began to shake with rage. Adam walked up to him, his nose millimeters from Scott. "I hope it _hurt_," he snarled softly, a savage smile stretched across his lips. "Hunter scum."

Scott's temper blew like a volcano eruption. He lashed out with his arm, raking the older wolf across the face, tearing his miserable head off his shoulders. Or at least he tried to. He couldn't move his arm. He couldn't move at all. Staring into the older wolf's red eyes, Scott felt small. He felt terrified, frozen to where he stood.

Derek Hale was not feeling the same effect. "Hey, psycho. Leave Isaac with us. Then leave Beacon Hills forever, and I won't come after you."

Adam was unfazed. "Oh, Derek. You and your children are the ones who need to leave. Before my patience leaves me and I choose to separate your heads from your bodies."

Angered, Derek was about to advance on Adam, but he froze as two more alphas appeared behind his target, claws extended. Like bodyguards.

Adam stared him down, a mocking expression on his face. "Know when you are in control, Derek. And know when to retreat. Your mother knew that. As do I."

Derek could feel his temper rising, just like Scott's. He controlled it. "Another time then, Adam. Watch yourself. "

He turned quickly and walked away. Scott followed a second later, Cora and Malia with him.

It did not escape Scott's ears when Adam released an unveiled threat. "You both watch your packs."

…

Evelyn waited until the four wolves were out of sight. "Why didn't you kill them?"

Adam hesitated. "I'm not entirely sure. Maybe it was just out of respect for Talia. We don't have to kill them, Eve. We just need the claws."

Evelyn took a breath. "Derek. Peter. Maybe Cora. I would expect that only they would know about their whereabouts." She turned to face Isaac, who was rubbing his sore arm. "Isaac, did he tell you where they were?"

Isaac shook his head. "No. No way. If I don't know, I would bet that Scott and his friends don't either. They may not even know the claws exist."

Adam bowed his head, solemn. "I promise you, my son. When I find them, I will help you bring her back. But you cannot lose your edge."

Isaac nodded once. "I promise. She meant everything to me. They will not get in the way."

…

Derek was confounded. "Scott, Isaac was with that alpha, willingly. He wanted to stay with him!"

Scott had briefed his friends over the events in the woods. They had been shocked, but it hadn't taken long for them to begin theorizing how and why their friend was associating with such powerful beings. They had gotten nowhere, and neither, clearly, had Derek.

He tried to calm the older wolf down. "I know. Maybe he's being forced. Blackmail, or something like that."

Derek swore under his breath, kicking a fallen tree branch for added emphasis. "I don't even know why he's here. I don't know who they are. Unless…" his voice trailed off.

"What?"

Derek turned, grabbing Scott's arm. "Come with me, now. We're gonna pay an old friend a visit."


	7. Trust me, I'm a Hunter

Eichen House never sleeps. Shrill screams echoed throughout the halls, sound waves bouncing off of hard surfaces. Every minute they spent walking through the facility aggravated Derek. He couldn't shut out the crazies, but he and Scott needed to be here. They needed to see someone.

"How much further?" Conrad Fenris, looked over his shoulder to face the two shape-shifters.

"Just up one more level. We keep the higher security patients there. Your friend has been able to fit right in."

Derek tried to ignore the doctor's labeling of whom he was about to visit. If it were up to him, he wouldn't be here.

They reached a steel door with a large "10" stamped on it. Fenris swiped an access card at a panel located by the handle. Upon a flashing green indicator light, he slid a key into a latch and turned it sharply to the right, 90 degrees. A sharp click signaled that the door was unlocked. With a slight grunt, Fenris pushed the heavy door open.

As Derek stepped into the room, he couldn't help but allow a small chuckle. Peter Hale looked ashen, even submissive. He was slumped over, leaning against the security glass barrier for support. His clothes were soaked with sweat. He tried to smirk as soon as he saw his nephew, but his extreme exhaustion made even that look feeble. "Oh, how good of you to see me? I was beginning to think you had forgotten."

Scott was on guard, but Derek seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the sight before him. "Oh, Uncle Peter, no one could ever forget about you. However, I am enjoying the loft now that you're gone. The lack of sarcasm keeps the air fresh, the place seems roomier than before."

Peter chuckled, wiping away sweat off of his forehead. His once buzzed hair has now grown, and his unchecked facial hair was sticking to his skin. "That hurts my feelings. What brings you here?"

The younger Hale declined to answer right away. "How's your roommate? Not quite like a college dorm, I presume?"

Peter snorted.

"Fine. My mother, Talia. Where did you hide her claws?" Derek squatted, face nearly pressed up to the security glass so that he and his uncle were nearly face-to-face.

Peter made no effort to fully acknowledge Derek. He gave his nephew a sidelong look. "Oh, so you want something from me? Not so much the tough guy are you?"

Scott repressed the growl that was creeping up his throat. He didn't have time for this. _They _didn't have time for this. He began to approach the squatting Derek, while Peter was still talking.

"…and that proves everything, Derek. Even though you're the big, bad alpha, you're still my beta."

"ENOUGH!" Derek roared. He nearly instantly wolfed into alpha form. The room shook. Scott heard himself let out a whimper, and he could feel himself transform. He had never been so scared in his life.

No one was more terrified than Peter. He jerked away from the safety glass, as if he did not believe it could protect him. It probably couldn't. He scrambled away, kicking at the ground with his feet to try and get as much distance away from Derek as he could.

Derek flexed his arms and roared towards the sky. "Peter! WHERE HAVE YOU HIDDEN THEM?"

Peter's lips were shaking so bad that Scott couldn't discern his words. "I don't know!" He blabbered, "I can't remember!"

Derek stopped shouting. "Liar," he whispered.

Peter screamed. Scott had never heard him scream before. He had never heard anyone scream like that. Peter hid his face in his hands. "I gave them to the banshee!" His roommate, who had been sitting silently the entire time, looked that the wolves and gave the briefest of nods. He was telling the truth.

Derek already knew he was. "I will be seeing you again, _Uncle_." A nefarious smile stretched across his lips. "I look forward to it."

They left Peter cowering in the corer of his cell. Scott found himself too shaken to speak clearly. "Was that really necessary?"

Derek glanced at him. "Its Peter. Every second of it was worth it."

…

Scott caught up to Lydia as she reached her locker. "Talia Hale's claws. Peter said you have them. I think it can help us figure out who those guys are."

She slowly opened her locker. "Yeah. He gave them to me. He thinks that I can hear them in some way. Some kind of whisper that tells me what memories Talia took away from him."

Scott was perplexed. "Derek said that one could retrieve memories by getting cut by the claws. He said that he could even interact with his mom to a certain extent. Why would Peter need you to hear these whispers, or whatever?"

Lydia pressed her lips together. "I'm guessing its because Talia took those memories away. She doesn't want him to have them, so they'll be much harder to get. Maybe that's why he needs me. A banshee. He needs me to steal them back."

That made sense. But if Talia knew who Adam and his wolves were, she definitely hadn't mentioned it to the rest of her family. That made the memories accessable, as long as she really knew them, as Adam had claimed. Scott hoped he was telling the truth, or else they would have nothing. "Can you give them to me?"

Lydia didn't hesitate. "Sure. Right after school? We'll swing my house?"

Scott exhaled. "Thanks. That sounds just fine."

Lydia quickly applied a layer of gloss to her lips. "Time to ace this math test. You coming?"

Scott groaned.

…

Something was wrong. Xavier could tell, and it wasn't even that hard. Scott and his friends moved hurriedly around the school, as if they were wary of something. The way they would sometimes glance over their shoulders. The way they talked quietly amongst themselves. They were hiding something from someone.

The hunter had his own theories, but he figured there was nothing wrong with asking. They already knew who he was, after all. Its not like he expected them to trust him_. Nothing to lose_.

…

Kira saw him coming and she motioned with her head towards an adjoining hallway.

As Xavier approached her, she spoke in hushed tones. "I don't know how much I can tell you."

Xavier kept his voice neutral, though his curiosity was piqued. "I'm listening."

Kira found herself struggling on how to word her response; she didn't know if she could trust him yet. Lydia was right though; that hair was a work of art. Like Derek's, but…cooler.

"Scott and Derek found something in the woods. I'm not going to say what it was, but if you really mean no harm to us, you have to talk to Scott directly."

Xavier had no problem with that. "You haven't told him about me following you guys yet?"

Kira shook her head. "Should I have?"

Xavier shrugged. "Your choice, no mine. I'll talk to him at some point. Right now, I've got other things to take care of. Good luck."

Kira almost, _almost _told him about the new Alpha pack. Just to make him stay. If she learned anything about her short friendship with Allison, it was how helpful a trained hunter could be when a dangerous supernatural was around.

Or in this case, a whole pack of them.

…

Scott lay on his bed, gasping for breath. As Kira slid her bra back on, he reached out to run his fingers along her back. She shuddered, a giggle escaping her mouth. "That tickles."

He laughed softly. "Sorry."

She eased her body alongside his on the bed. He smelled her hair and reached his arm over, wrapping it around her waist and pulling her closer. "I'm worried," he confessed.

She shifted so she could look at him better, rumpling the sheets they lay on even more. "Everything's going to be fine. We can handle anything together."

Scott sighed. "I know, but Kira. These guys were crazy. Before you moved here, Derek and I were hunted by another Alpha pack. It was horrible, being chased by a group of wolves that outnumbered us. They were stronger than us. They killed two of Derek's betas, Erica and Boyd. Those two were my friends. They almost killed Isaac and Derek too. I'm scared that I'm going to lose more people close to me."

Kira tried to smile, though hearing those details chilled her to the bone. "I'm not going anywhere. We're gonna face this, and beat it."

Scott didn't answer. He closed his eyes. Kira thought at first that he had fallen asleep, but his uneven breathing told her that he was trying to act like he was asleep, and he was avoiding the conversation.

Sadly, she snuggled against his strong body. She thought about kissing him, but held back. He was afraid, and she didn't want to stress him out. She was scared too. This was when she needed him most, but she felt like he was shrinking away.

…

Xavier yanked Derek's loft door open. It slid open, creaking quite a bit more than it had the last time he broke in. It wasn't sliding properly. Broken?

He looked around. No Derek. Only Cora Hale was in the apartment. She was doing pushups on the floor. _She's strong. And beautiful. Is everyone beautiful in this stupid town?_

Xavier raised his hand in greeting. She didn't look at him. "What are you doing here?"

Xavier lowered his hand; mildly disappointed she didn't look up. "I want to talk."

Cora still didn't raise her head. "He isn't here. As you may or may not be able to tell."

Xavier didn't bat an eye. "You'll do."

She looked up at him, surprised. Everyone wanted to talk to Derek. "Go on, what?"

The boy clasped his hands behind his back. "Ms. Hale, I don't know what's going on. I may think I have an idea, but these high school kids are running around their school like hunted prey. I always thought wolves were the predators."

Cora scoffed. "I would hardly call those kids predators. Maybe vegetarians."

Xavier cracked a smile. "Anyhow, I wouldn't mind knowing the situation for sure."

Cora continued her pushups. "And why should I tell you, a hunter of my kind?"

Xavier slowly sat down on the floor, right in front of her. "Allison Argent turned out to be helpful, didn't she?"

Cora stopped her workout, flipping over so she could sit facing him. "She did, but I never liked her. Right now, I like you more than I liked her."

"Promising."

"You bet. But you're a hunter, and you know nothing about dealing with an alpha pack."

_That _caught Xavier's attention. Cora looked at him, almost hungrily. "Scared now?"

"That makes two of us." He saw the younger Hale bristle at his words. She really wasn't that much older than he was. He'd venture a guess and say 18, at most. "Alpha packs are no joke." _And I've dealt with a few alphas back home._

She seemed taken aback at how casually he broached the topic. Then again, Derek was always annoyed about how carelessly she seemed to act when discussing Deucalion. This kid thought a lot like she did. "Indeed. But I answered your question, Xavier. I think you best leave before my big brother knows you stopped by."

He nodded. "Thank you, Ms. Hale." He turned at headed towards the door.

She sat back and stared his back, hard. "Don't call me that."

He didn't apologize. "Better get that door fixed."


	8. Talia Calls

If Xavier creeped Stiles out, Isaac reached a whole new level of creepiness. The tall, lanky teenager had a ghoulish smile whenever they made eye contact, and the way he sauntered through the school was unnerving. He could tell that Scott felt the same way. Their former friend was more confident, and dangerous, than he had been before he felt.

_This is fucking unreal. _And the new Isaac was as hostile as he was intimidating. It seemed that he never wasted a chance to stare Stiles down, or to ram his shoulder when they crossed paths.

The third time this happened, at the end of the day, Stiles saw Scott drop his backpack and storm over. "Isaac!" he growled in his ear. "That's enough."

Isaac didn't seem to hear him, brushing the two friends aside on his way out the school. As he passed by Scott's backpack lying on the floor, he gave it a kick, sending it sliding a few yards further.

Stiles grabbed his friend's elbow. "Dude, you're eyes." Scott was wolfing out.

Scott quickly took a deep breath, rapidly blinking his eyelids. His heartbeat slowed. "I'm sorry. He's just really pushing my buttons."

Stiles slapped him across the back. "No worries dude. We can kick his little ass together if the time comes."

…

From a dozen lockers down, Xavier watched the exchange. He wasn't surprised to see the animosity; he had been paying attention to it for the past two days. However, he had no idea why there was any bad blood at all. Isaac Lahey was Scott's best beta. He was loyal, almost to a fault. He was tough and selfless. He was friends with all of Scott's group. He had loved Allison as well.

Xavier stopped himself mid-thought. _Allison. _Some sort of bitterness, perhaps? It didn't explain nearly everything, but he stashed it in this short list of potential causal effects. Werewolves were a different breed. Maybe they thought differently, but Xavier was willing to gamble that they knew something key he didn't.

He walked past the boys and retrieved Scott's backpack. He handed it to its owner.

"Thanks, man."

"No problem. What was that about? You guys doing some WWE publicity stunt or something?" Xavier had never watched the sports entertainment show, but the comment seemed appropriate.

Stiles groaned loudly. "Okay, first your mom, then him. What is with people and fake wrestling?"

Scott turned to his best friend. "Its real. They jump off ladders and everything."

Stiles stifled a laugh.

Xavier grinned. "Well, good luck with that."

Scott watched him go. "Thanks."

Xavier felt surprised as he left the school. The kitsune really hadn't mentioned anything at all about him to her boyfriend. He wondered why; it was apparent that she was afraid of whatever may be threatening them. She probably was wary of telling the alpha wolf about talking to a hunter.

Xavier grimaced in frustration, kicking a loose pebble with the sole of his Vans. He really wanted to know what was going on. And he knew he may need to let Scott in on what he did know, eventually.

…

Cora slammed her palms on the mattress in frustration. Derek smirked. "Hitting a mattress doesn't do anything, sis."

Cora flushed. She stalked over to the table and slammed her palms down again, hard. Derek jumped at the noise.

Cora gave a short laugh. "I feel better now." Derek glared.

She flopped onto the bed, kicking her shoes off. "What I want to know is what you plan to do to those guys."

Derek shrugged. "We wait. Scott said he'll pick up the claws from Lydia after school. He'll bring them by later today. We'll find out who they are, then we make a plan. I'm not going to do anything yet if I don't know who they are."

Cora opened her mouth, probably to say something snarky, but she thought better of it. Derek's logic made sense. She wasn't going to tell him that, but it did.

She stretched her body across the bed. "That kid Xavier came by."

Derek looked up quickly. "He what? What did you two talk about?"

"Nothing much. I just told him to leave before you came back."

Derek narrowed his eyes. "Don't lie to me, Cora."

Cora's temper flared. "Don't talk to me that way, _Derek_. I told him nothing."

Derek's expression softened slightly. "All right. Come to think of it though, a hunter could really help us out. I wish the Argents were still here. Or maybe the Calaveras."

Cora shuffled crossed her arms behind her head, burying it deeper into the pillow. "I can tell him more if you want. He's a better listener than you are."

Derek didn't answer. But that meant he didn't say no.

…

Tires screeched as Lydia took another corner too fast. Scott fought to control himself as he clutched the door, the dashboard. Anything. It was a calm day, but at their current velocity, the air had whipped Lydia's usually neat hair into a frenzy, wildly flying and often smacking Scott in the face.

Scott spat out a mouthful of red hair. "Lydia, just because you can afford new tires every week doesn't mean you should try and wear your current ones out."

Lydia sniffed loudly. "Who said that? I'm just trying to enjoy myself. I spend too much time screaming and hearing creepy shit. Let me blow some steam."

Scott didn't answer. He was too busy holding his breath as Lydia tore up her driveway, shutting down her little Mercedes in one smooth motion.

She hopped out, dashing for the front door. Scott stayed in the car, too tired to follow his friend. She came back out with a pouch in her hand. Tossing it to the alpha as she jumped back in, she roared out of the driveway and began driving towards Derek's loft.

…

Derek heard the tires screeching long before Lydia Martin parked her car outside his residence. The door slammed and running footsteps echoed as they hurried into the apartment.

He frowned. "Could you have driven over here any more obnoxiously?"

Lydia cocked an eyebrow. "Says the guy who can't resist showing off every fighting move he has. Not to mention his cheap car."

Derek's shoulders slumped as he heard Cora snort in laughter. Lydia fought dirty. He should have seen that one coming. At least she hadn't called him a tool.

"You forgot tool." His sister's voice came from behind. _Goddamn it._

Scott thankfully declined to join in on the teasing and he handed Derek the pouch. The elder Hale opened it, shaking the contents out onto the center table, which he had long ago cleared of Braeden's guns.

Talia's claws had been well taken care of by Lydia. The five talons were immaculate, almost polished. He gave the banshee a look of gratitude.

"Scott, do you know how to use these?" The younger alpha shook his head no. "That's alright. Only Peter and I have actually used them since my mother died, so it makes sense that you don't know. It's easy. Just slide them under your claws. Make sure the points are still extended, and push them into my neck."

Scott looked confused. "Is that safe?"

Derek waved his hand impatiently. "For sure. That's how I can access her memories, and even interact with her."

Cora broke in. "So why do _you _get to talk to mom? Again? My turn seems about time."

Derek pretended not to hear. "Ready?"

Scott's eyes widened. "Right now?"

Derek raised his voice a touch. "Yeah. Why not? Sooner the better."

"Hey!" Cora broke in stubbornly. "Why not me that gets to go under the knife?"

Lydia smirked. "Inviting surgery now?"

Cora made a face of disgust. Derek shook his head. "You can't handle it yet. You're mind can't take it. I fear only an Alpha can handle the stress it puts on your mind."

Cora huffed. "Damn, I wanna be an alpha."

Derek raised his eyebrows. "No you don't." With that, he nodded at Scott.

Scott slowly slid the claws on his fingers, careful to wedge them securely under his own claws. Talia's claws were longer, sharper than his own, giving his hand a very lethal look.

Derek eased off his shirt, baring his muscled back. Scott stood behind him. "Where do you want me to do it?"

Derek indicated towards the back of his neck, just above his back tattoo of his family crest. Scott took a deep breath, and slowly pushed the claws into his friend's flesh.

Derek sucked in his breath sharply for a split second, and then his body relaxed. He was gone; his consciousness was with that of his mother. Scott shivered at the thought of someone sticking those…_knives _into his own skin. He hoped whatever Derek would learn was worth it.


	9. Know Thy Enemy

At first he couldn't see. Everything was black, but it wasn't because it was dark or he was closing his eyes, because he could _feel _his eyelids were wide open. He was blind. Derek wasn't one to panic, so he stood still and waited. A gust of wind blew and he shivered. Instinctively, his arms reached to pull his jacket closer…

_Great_. He was wearing the v-neck t-shirt he had on in the loft when Scott had cut his neck with the claws. His jacket was laying…that's funny; he couldn't remember. He made a mental note to wear his stupid jacket next time he tried this. Plus, his vision was clearing up.

Slowly but surely, he began to make out his surroundings. He was in the woods, a somewhat harsh wind blowing fallen leaves up, simulating tornados and debris in a way. It _was _dark. His vision fully cleared, he was surprised that his sight was not as sharp as he thought it was.

_Am I sick? _It was only then he realized that his powers were gone. He was human. A weak, pathetic human. He ground his teeth in anger. _I hate this._

He began walking, and as if it were a hallucination, the Hale House loomed in front of him. Only this time, it wasn't a destroyed pile of wood the government had seized. It wasn't even the burnt wreck that had survived an arsonist fire. It was a magnificent mansion, a sight he hadn't seen since he was 15.

He began walking faster, then running. Every step reminded him how weak, how slow he was compared to his real body. He finally reached the front door, which bore a bold etching of his family crest on the surface. The door was fresh, made of cherry oak. He tried to open it, but the damn thing wouldn't give.

As he gave up, breathing hard, the entrance swung open on its own. Derek peered in. The hallway inside was empty, but well lit with candles. Only then did he notice that the wind wasn't blowing anymore.

Perplexed and a little nervous, he entered the house, closing the door softly behind him. "Hello?"

Silence, though his voice echoed a little bit. Derek cautiously walked further into the house, opting not to climb the stairs that led to the second floor. He instead went for the living room.

She sat in a luxurious armchair, facing away from him, towards a fireplace that had a large flame going. The heat was a welcome feeling to his skin, which had sprouted goosebumps for the first time in decades. As he entered the room, his mother turned towards him.

Cora looked a lot like his mother. Though her face had weathered a bit, she was still beautiful. Her hair was longer than that of her daughter, but she still boasted the same soft brown eyes and olive skin. She wore an elegant black dress that gave her an intimidating look.

Talia spoke. "My son, you have come."

Derek swallowed, and nodded. Talia gestured him towards a nearby armchair. "What can I do to help you?"

Derek thought for a second. There was a lot going on in his head at the moment. "Why was I so…so weak? Walking up to the house?"

Talia didn't appear surprised. "Its my world here. I decide what happens. Not you."

He quickly reached and felt the back of his neck. His skin was smooth. No sign of any scratch wounds. Derek was stunned. His mother smiled lovingly at him. "My child, you have grown so much. You have become one of the most powerful Hale's in the line."

"Except for you." Derek heard himself say. "And Uncle Peter."

Talia smiled, closing her eyes and shaking her head. "You are ten times the alpha that Peter ever was. Don't doubt yourself. Sometimes you are too sure of your ability to win your battles alone. Other times you are afraid of even the slightest chance of failure and inferiority. To be the alpha you are destined to be, you must let that go."

_Cryptic much? _Derek was confused, not annoyed. "Mother. The alpha pack in the woods. Who are they?"

Talia's sad smile disappeared, replaced with a more serious face. "Adam is a powerful alpha. He and his lover Evelyn have been around since the days I administered council to Deucalion and his followers. He was once Deucalion's alpha, before he broke away, and formed a new pack. I don't know exactly where he had gone, but our contact was sporadic from then on."

Derek leaned forward. "Please, tell me more."

"Deucalion hated Adam. He feared him too. Adam was more powerful than Deucalion ever was. However he lacked foresight, something his former beta had. Deucalion had his faults, but he was and is, thanks to you and the McCall boy, an honorable wolf." Talia leaned back in her seat and close her eyes. "Adam is a loose cannon. He and I never got along smoothly, and I knew he hated the Hale family. We were the longest line of lycans. We were simply the most powerful."

Hearing this made Derek smile a little bit. "We knew we were in control, and when to back down."

"Indeed." Talia smiled at him. "I told him that once. It didn't go over well. But now I am gone, and Adam has returned. You must stop him. You and your pack."

Derek protested, "I don't even know what he wants. He doesn't want me or Scott to join his pack, like Deucalion did."

"Search your mind!" commanded Talia, a ring of calm authority in her voice.

Derek squeezed his eyes shut. What did he have that Adam could possibly desire? Power? Money? Betas? All these didn't work.

Suddenly, he knew. "Your claws?" he breathed.

Talia didn't answer. Instead she leaned over, kissing him on top of his head. "I love you, my son. I love you and your sister. Know that."

…

He heard numerous voices around him, but he couldn't ascertain what they were saying.

"Wait a sec, he's coming around."

"Derek? Derek!"

"Shut the hell up, you stupid kid! Get out of his face." _I know who said that._

"What happened?"

Derek found himself lying on the mattress. His neck felt a little sore. As if he was reading his mind, Scott told him, "It's healing, but pretty slowly. Probably because these claws aren't your typical acupuncture needles."

Derek massaged his neck as he sat up. He flexed his arms and breathes a sigh of relief. He was still an alpha. He felt a bit stupid for being so irrational, but he couldn't bear being a human for the rest of his life. He didn't know how Stiles pulled it off day after day.

He rubbed his eyes. "How long was I out?"

Scott and Cora exchanged a confused look. His sister hesitated momentarily before answering. "Uh, maybe a nanosecond? I mean, the kid poked you; you closed your eyes and flopped over. Then you sat up immediately."

Derek stared at her. "A nanosecond."

Cora rolled her eyes. "A millisecond?"

Lydia broke in. "Just what happened though?"

Derek let out a breath. "It was crazy." He proceeded to describe to them the house and his mother. He told them what she told him. He didn't leave out any details. When he was finished, Scott's eyes were wide. Cora looked annoyed.

"I won't ever remember that house at all like that. That's your fucking fault for dating that Argent bitch."

Derek saw Scott tense, but quickly relax. He probably was reminded about Allison for a moment. Thank god Cora didn't insult the girl. That would lead to a fight for sure. "Unimportant, Cora. Don't dwell too much on the past, because it makes you weak."

That shut her up.

Lydia spoke up. "Wait, you said Adam wants something, probably something from you over us. It isn't another powerful alpha for his pack, like when Deucalion wanted you or Scott. So shouldn't we hide those claws somewhere?" 

Lydia Martin never ceased to amaze. Derek nodded. "Yeah. That's what I'm thinking too. There's nothing else I have that may hold any interest of his."

Scott and Cora quickly caught on. "What about Peter? What if Adam and Evelyn go after him?"

Derek scoffed. "Peter has his abilities, and he is a powerful werewolf. He has his strengths. But I doubt Adam will go after him. He would already have him by now, and it would be good riddance for us anyways."

"Amen to that, " Lydia mumbled. She had never quite gotten over the time Peter nearly killed her two years ago at the school prom. "Amen to that."

…

Xavier was out of ideas. He didn't have many to begin with. When all you know is that a bunch of teenage supernaturals are acting nervous, and a long lost werewolf appears and acts hostile to his former friends, it doesn't give one much to go on. He did know an alpha pack was somehow involved, but he needed at motive. A target.

Tired, he shoved his hands in his pockets, allowing his body to sag down his chair. He leaned his head back and looked at the ceiling.

Maybe another visit to the Hale residence was in order. _In due time._ He wasn't sure if he was welcome there; if Cora was telling him only truth, it wouldn't be a bad bet to assume that Derek was already on edge. He wasn't willing to go up against that.

He thought for a few seconds. If Cora had known all this information, and so did Kira, then they must have had a confrontation with the alphas already. At least someone from their party did.

He sat upright. That night, before he was embarrassingly caught red-handed, he saw Scott and Derek, with Malia and Cora sprint towards Beacon Hills woods. What if they had seen something? _Or heard something? Like an alpha howl?_

That was it. It had to be. They had met the Alpha Pack that night, likely right after he left the two girls outside the loft. How Isaac Lahey was somehow aligned with this pack, and he was now an alpha werewolf himself. Though Xavier could see why the pack saw the use of Isaac as a member; he could keep tabs on Scott and company at school. However, he was still inconclusive about why Isaac had willingly joined them. He couldn't have been forced. That guy was way too loyal and strong-willed to go for something like a simple blackmail. He wanted to be here; he wanted to be an alpha; he wanted to haunt his old friends.

There was a causal effect; he just didn't know what it was, yet. But he was willing to bet Scott McCall did. Even if he himself doesn't know it yet.


	10. Escalation

They were already late for first period, but Scott and Stiles' eyes were glued to the television set. A body was discovered in the woods, near the site of the ongoing construction project for community housing where the now-demolished Hale house once stood.

The homicide victim was not yet identified, but authorities had confirmed him as a construction manager associated with the housing project. If it weren't for the employment records provided by the local government, police were unsure _if _they would have been able to ID the victim. He was mauled by something, his body pummeled and mangled.

Scott felt sick to his stomach, but he listened closely as Sheriff Stilinski issued the typical statement. "Obviously, whoever-whatever did this is extremely dangerous. I strongly advise for people to avoid going into the woods for the time being, especially alone. We will be sweeping the area the next few days as we get more information about when and how the attack took place."

Stiles shut off the TV with a sigh. "Did you hear all of that? They think the body has been out there for days. Remember when Lydia screamed the day we checked the old bank vault, looking for Isaac?"

Scott's eyes lit up as he remembered. "Yeah. Holy shit, maybe that's what she saw."

Stiles nodded slowly. "But Lydia's, uh, _visions_, are usually a bit more accurate than what she told us. She only saw something kill that man. Why so obscure?"

"Maybe its because the alphas-they're so powerful. Maybe they did it too fast for her. Or they somehow repress her visions or something," Scott offered.

"Whoa, whoa cowboy. There's no real proof that they did it. The Alphas." Scott stared at him hard, and Stiles held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, you're probably right. Damn, this is getting out of control."

There was still something bugging Scott. "Adam and his pack are a lot like Deucalion's lot. Not exactly alike, but if anything, they're even more disdainful. Why would they make a mess and kill a person? For no apparent reason?"

Stiles mulled it over. "You have a point. They would have only done it had it was necessary. Either that, or they were hungry."

Scott put his head in his hands. "Not helpful, bro."

Stiles backtracked. "I know, I know, I'm sorry. I'm trying, man."

Scott clapped his best friend on the shoulder. "Its not your fault. You couldn't have stopped it or anything. Lets just try to figure this out."

…

The school was abuzz about the discovered body that was on TV. Students clustered around each other's lockers, speaking in hushed, frightened tones. Scott could pick out everyone's conversations, and he was getting seriously sick.

A stabbing feeling in his body alerted him just in time. He rushed out of his statistics class and made it to the restroom just in time. As he leaned over the toilet, his stomach contracted, heaving his breakfast out. Cheerios.

Breathing heavily, he made sure he was done before he wiped his mouth and flushed the mess down the drain. As he stepped out of the stall, he realized he wasn't alone. Isaac was leaning against the wall, staring at him.

"The nurse's office is that way, McCall."

Scott couldn't mask his anger. "Isaac, what is wrong with you?!"

Isaac slowly smiled. "Nothing. I feel good. Bigger and stronger than ever, y'know?"

His slow drawl only served to infuriate Scott more. Stepping right up to the taller boy, Scott shoved him against the wall hard, before he could react. "You are a murderer. Don't try to act like it was an animal attack or some other kind of bullshit. You are a murderer."

Isaac's once-smug look vanished. He looked disturbed, and Scott thought he might have seen a flash of anger for a second. "I didn't do anything! You hear me?"

Scott pressed on, slamming the other werewolf into the wall a second time. The thud echoed throughout the empty room. "You're not only a killer, but a liar as well."

"Shut. Up!" screamed Isaac. The raise in volume shocked Scott for a second; he didn't anticipate Isaac loosing control like that. His grip loosened just a fraction and the other wolf took advantage, threading his arms inside Scott's, using his elbows to get leverage and push Scott's hands off his shirt. He followed it up with a thunderous shove that sent the true alpha into the close stall door. Scott's dexterity allowed him to land easily, but the entire three-stall structure shuddered.

Scott stared at his former friend. Isaac's eyes were blood-red; he was ready for a fight. The two stood facing each other for a few seconds, breathing hard. Scott was trying to anticipate Isaac's first move when the bathroom door opened and Greenberg poked his head in.

The poor guy still had a bruise on his left cheek from Scott's fist, and he stared at the two of them for half a second before quickly ducking his head back out. Scott heard his footsteps recede down the hall. Fast. The guy was definitely running.

Isaac relaxed. The interruption gave him time to control himself. No wonder Greenberg was scared; Isaac had once given the guy a pummeling too, when Greenberg insulted Allison while the two were dating.

_Allison. _Scott felt a pang, but he dared not to bring her up, for the sake of both of them. Isaac looked at him, calmer now, and he offered the slightest shrug. He exited the bathroom, his shoulder brushing that of Scott's. Not in a friendly way, but it was better than getting into a fistfight in the bathroom.

…

Xavier left class ten minutes early, drawing a curious stare from both Scott and Kira as he exited Mr. Yukimura's room in mid-discussion about the exploits of President Millard Filmore. _Why wouldn't you skip? No one cares about Prez Mill Fil._

Apparently his reason was pretty lousy, because he was the only person to do so. It didn't bother him; he had things to do. Isaac Lahey unexpectedly turned the corner to the main hall, and Xavier quickly stopped at a water fountain, turning his head so the werewolf wouldn't notice him. He drank greedily until he heard Lahey's footsteps die down.

The hunter made his way to his locker and quickly shoved his books inside. He reached into the upper compartment, and after checking that the hallway was empty, he removed his Glock 22 pistol and shoved it into his jacket. His father always ridiculed him for preferring Glock's but he appreciated how the polymer framework made the weapon light and accurate.

Making sure not to slam the locker, he headed towards the school exit, taking care to avoid as much of the main hall as he could to avoid any janitors that could try and hinder his leave. President Filmore would have been impressed. Maybe.

…

He heard the bell ring, which meant that Isaac was about to leave Mrs. Martin's chemistry class. He strategically placed himself at the picnic tables located in the school mini-quad, where exiting students all had to congregate before exiting the campus. It provided camouflage, but also allowed him to see everyone who left the building.

As Scott and Kira walked by, arms linked, he yanked his hood above his head, shielding his face, only removing the hood when the couple passed him by. The two hopped on Scott's motorcycle, no doubt en route to his home.

It wasn't long before Isaac appeared, moving fast, but with a purpose. Xavier waited ten seconds, and then followed. He knew Lahey didn't have a car, and he was still unsure how to best tail the guy without getting caught, or rather, sniffed out.

To his immense surprise, a red Dodge Charger pulled up to the curb by the parking lot, and Isaac folded his lanky frame inside. Xavier didn't recognize the woman driving, but she was very beautiful. Her brown hair was even longer than that of Lydia or Kira. She had dark sunglasses on, but from the angle she had looked out the passenger window, he knew she hadn't seen him.

He sprinted to his black Eclipse, which he had thankfully parked near the exit-he had prepared for the possibility that Isaac would lose him-he was a werewolf, after all-and followed, cutting off a shiny Mercedes on his way out. He glimpsed a furious Lydia Martin flipping him a double bird, and he left her fuming face behind as he accelerated after the Charger.

Xavier allowed himself a moment of thought. This whole thing was unveiling itself…while covering itself up. Who was this new player? Xavier could logically assume that she was a werewolf herself, and probably part of the Alpha Pack Cora mentioned. Besides that, he knew nothing more.

He slowed down and fell back a few more yards; he didn't want to give himself away. A red Charger wasn't difficult to track in broad daylight. _What is with werewolves and nice cars? Don't think I didn't notice that dope Camaro Derek keeps around._

A few twists and turns led Xavier to a public parking lot by the woods, where he saw the two wolves get out and set off from afar. He was too afraid of following by foot; he's surely be smelled if he got too close. Autumn wasn't an ideal time to track lycans; it was windy and the ground was covered in fallen leaves. Tracks would vanish in moments.

Xavier cursed, though he wasn't surprised at all. Making a mental note of the lot location, he dug out his laptop where he had activated a heat indicator of a two-mile radius. He marked their signatures. Werewolves exuded a lot of heat compared to humans; they were easy to find on the scanner.

It didn't take long, maybe seven minutes for the wolves to vanish from his screen. They had walked in a straight line at 37 degrees Northeast from his position. That meant they had not suspected of a tail, and they lived more than two miles deep into the woods in that direction.

Xavier used his mouse to circle the range on his computer's map. A quick check told him his Glock was loaded and he flipped the safety off. He got out of the car and jogged over to the Charger. He jimmied the driver-side door open with a sheet of metal he kept in his trunk and used a rod of rebar to unlock it. Though there was a cool breeze blowing, he found himself sweating profusely. He was scared. Using his sleeve to wipe away at his forehead, he was careful not to get it on his gloves. He didn't want to damage his equipment. He placed the audio bug he had constructed the night before underneath the front seat, activating. Testing it with his computer, Xavier was satisfied that he could hear his heavy breathing from the laptop speakers. The little sound device should work for the next week or so, as long as the lithium-ion battery he used wasn't faulty. He locked the door and closed it shut. It was time to leave. Hopefully this trip wouldn't be in vain. It was certainly stressful enough.

...

Isaac wished Adam wouldn't have picked a place so deep into the woods, but he understood the necessities. No one would know where they lived, and it wasn't that far from town, not for a werewolf. He and Eve covered the distance within minutes.

The cabin had been long abandoned by whoever owned it last, but Adam explained he had used it for himself and his pack the few times they visited Beacon Hills, the most recent time being decades ago, when Talia Hale was still living. It was comfortable enough, and big enough for five powerful alphas. Nothing to complain too much about.

Roan was standing outside the cabin as they approached. He wasn't doing anything, just standing. His body tensed, but he relaxed when he saw Evelyn. He nodded to Isaac. Isaac jerked his chin up. "Hey, Roan."

Roan grunted, but he didn't follow the two of them into the cabin. The cabin was modestly, but well furnished. There were very few windows, and dark curtains covered what windows there were. It was two stories, but the upper level was smaller and took the form of a single room, a balcony overlooking the ground floor. Two somewhat worn couches were parked side by side, both facing a shiny flat-screen TV that couldn't have been very old. Adam must have just purchased it. Isaac found it a strange thought to envision the powerful alpha buying a TV from an electronics retailer. The thought made him smile.

Evelyn glanced at him, like she knew what he was thinking. "What?"

Isaac shook his head in a "never mind" fashion. Evelyn shrugged. Come to think of it, the cabin reminded him of Derek's loft, except this place had more stuff in it. Derek's loft was pretty empty by comparison.

Adam sat on one of the couches, completely relaxed. He reached out his arm and Evelyn fell into his lap. They kissed.

Isaac shuffled his feet, wondering if he was even wanted. Before he could decide whether to leave the two or not, Adam looked at him, gesturing. "Isaac. School is going well, I hope."

Isaac looked at his leader quizzically, tilting his head to the side. "Excuse me?"

"How are the grades?"

Isaac moved his lips slowly, unsure where Adam was going with this. "Fine. I think."

The older werewolf clapped his hands together. "Good! Does Scott know of our demands?"

Isaac groaned. "There wasn't an opportunity," the teenager said, clearly trying to keep his answer blunt.

"No worries, my son. He already knows." Isaac hated being called that, but his surprise at what Adam said overshadowed his discomfort. He deigned not to demand an explanation, instead opting to try and hide his surprise.

Adam continued, "If Stilinski and Martin are as intelligent as people say, then they already know. It works for us anyways. Less work." Winking, he pulled Evelyn back to him and kissed her. Isaac decisively left, choosing to join Cain outside.

Roan nodded as he Isaac stood next to him. "I don't like it when they do that crap either. Its not like this place has privacy."

Isaac chuckled. "Yeah, I feel you on that one." They two alphas stood in silence for a minute before Isaac inquired, "Where's Cain?"

Roan shrugged. "Think he's in town. I heard Adam tell him to send a message to the kids."

Isaac quickly looked u at him. "A message?" he asked, trying to keep his voice neutral.

"Hell if I know," the other alpha said. "Adam likes to dick around when he intimidates those that go against him."


	11. Blindsided

Stiles tossed and turned on his bed, unable to fall asleep. His girlfriend was late. She was always good to show before 2 am. And for some damn reason, he felt like he couldn't sleep without her.

A soft tap on his window alerted him to her arrival. Usually she let herself in. He jumped out of bed, yanking up his window and letting her climb through. She was panting a little, and he smiled as she kissed him.

"You're late," he teased. "I was about to howl out the window, alpha summon you." She laughed softly, but he saw her wince.

"What's wrong?" he asked, pulling her to his bed.

"Its nothing…" she began before he switched on his lamp, revealing a long cut across the side of her face. Check that, it was more like a gash. Blood was caked on her cheek, and the wound was bleeding freely.

Rage pumped through his veins. "What happened? Who did this?"

Malia tried to glare at him, but instead she winced again. "No one. I tripped."

For once, humor eluded him; Stiles was having none of it. "Tell me!" he pleaded grabbing her waist. To his horror, she let out a gasp and bent over, grabbing at her side with both hands.

Stiles ran out of his room. "Dad! Dad!" No answer. _Must be working a late night, especially after the body found today. _He found the first aid box in the kitchen. He brought it back to his room, where Malia was still sitting, hunched over on his bed.

"Here," he said, handing her a roll of gauze. He dabbed at her cheek, noticing the cut had healed a bit. "Why isn't it healing faster?"

Malia took a shallow breath. "It was caused by an alpha. Remember the guy I told you about in the woods? The one who was with Isaac? It wasn't him, but I think they're in the same Alpha pack. He cornered me in the woods, and we fought. Well, I fought. He just hit me a bunch of times and left. That cut just heals a bit slower because he's an alpha."

Stiles tried to push his anger away, though it was not happening at all. "How's your side?"

Malia tried to smile. "I think my ribs are just bruised. Nothing worse."

Stiles could tell she was being honest. "Good. You'll be better by the end of the weekend. Come on." He took her gently and layed her on the bed, covering her with his comforter. For once they didn't spoon. He propped her head on his shoulder, and she buried her face in it. Her breaths were short and shallow. He placed his hand on her injured side, softly massaging it. "I'm not gonna leave you. I'll be here all weekend. Right by your side."

She mumbled her consent. Usually he would be worried about her scratching him, but tonight was different. She didn't have the strength to do anything. For the first time since they had met, Malia Hale looked scared and beaten.

Stiles closed his eyes. Right before he drifted to sleep, he vowed to punish whoever thought he could hurt her.

…

"You have a thing for hurting girls?" Isaac snarled. The Beacon Hills high schooler had confronted Cain the moment the big alpha returned to the cabin.

Cain was even bigger than Ennis, the powerful alpha wolf that worked with Deucalion before dying on Deaton's operating table. "Whether they're a boy of girl means nothing to me," Cain answered, his voice a low rumble. "The point was to get them to take us seriously."

"You're making them mad, that what you're doing!" Isaac exclaimed. Roan stood behind him, not allowing himself to take sides. However, if this escalated much further, he knew he might have to step in.

Cain shook his head. "You still care about these kids, Lahey. Don't let your weakness slow the rest of us down."

Isaac shoved Cain, sending the larger man stumbling back a few steps. It took a lot of strength to push that man back, strength that Isaac had in spades now that he was an alpha himself. "You shut your goddamn mouth. You know jack about me or my friends."

"_Friends?_" Isaac and Roan spun around. Evelyn stood there. "Isaac, those kids aren't your friends anymore. You turned your back on them. And if I recall, one of them got your hunter-girlfriend killed."

Isaac swallowed, as the painful memory jetted through his train of thought. "He did, and for that he will suffer. But we shouldn't aggravate them needlessly, and she doesn't deserve getting blindsided and beaten up just to send a message!"

Eve held up a hand, silencing him. "But you said you wanted the Stilinski boy to suffer. Harming his mate seems like a good way to start."

Cain smiled menacingly. Evelyn looked his way. "Cain, do it again if you find her in the woods alone. Make her suffer. They'll get it sooner of later."

Isaac opened his mouth to protest, but the she-wolf froze him with an icy stare. "Either he does it, or I do, Isaac. Unless you want us to skip the beating, and just kill her like I did with that human last week."

…

Scott was getting seriously worried. Stiles hadn't responded to his texts all weekend. He hadn't picked up or returned any of his calls. He visited the house twice. The first time, no one was home, and the second time, Sheriff Stilinski assured him that Stiles was fine, just sick.

Scott knew he shouldn't feel so nervous, but he could tell the Sheriff was lying. Mr. Stilinski was always tired, and he was more difficult to read than most because his work made him a calm and excellent liar. But Scott knew. They way the sheriff looked at him, like he didn't care if Scott knew whether he was being completely truthful or not told him everything he needed to know.

After bidding Kira farewell before her first class, Scott caught up with his friend. "Hey man, is everything going well with you?"

To his relief, Stiles looked relatively fine. The dude was a little sleep-deprived, and he seemed a little sad, but that was all.

"Yeah," Stiles said softly. He told Scott what had happened to Malia. "I've just been taking care of her the last few days. I'm sorry didn't answer my phone; I just wanted to show her that I was there for her."

Scott was seething. "Its ok dude. Jesus, I can't believe that he just jumped her in the woods."

Scott nodded. "I know. I'm so angry. She's feeling a bit weak still; he did a number on her. That's why she isn't in class. I wanted to skip and stay with her, but she threatened to scratch my eyes out if I did." He smiles ruefully.

Scott didn't. "We're gonna get them, Stiles. I promise you, we're gonna get them."

…

It did not escape Xavier's attention on Tuesday that Malia was acting differently. Well, differently was quite the understatement. The girl shrank whenever her friends or Isaac happened to be in the same area. She often looked straight at the ground and hurried to each class, clutching her books to her chest, almost like they were shields. And she was limping.

He felt a degree of pity for her. He wondered what on earth had happened over the weekend to reduce the usually vivacious girl to such a withdrawn state. Before he could offer to help carry her books-he doubted she would have let him-Stiles appeared and yanked them out of her arms and carried them himself. Xavier watched them walk together. _He's a good guy. I hope he can protect her._

…

Derek had just woken up from a leisure nap when the intruder blinker began, well, blinking. He quickly made sure Talia's claws were not in sight before he opened the loft door.

Xavier Cho stood in the doorway, looking unhappy. "Is your sister here?"

Derek raised his eyebrow. "Why do you care?"

Xavier cocked his own eyebrow, in perfect imitation of the supernatural. "Why do I? I have no idea. Maybe because she actually talks to me. Your turn, big boy. So tell me about this alpha pack."

_Cora, you little liar. _Derek wasn't angry, though. Its not like this whole thing was being kept well under wraps, as the body found in the woods has been a staple of the local news channels for the past few days.

"What do you want to know?"

"Depends on how much you know."

Derek shrugged. "Powerful alpha. He has other alphas."

Xavier laughed. "Yeah? Go on, please."

Derek growled. _Cheeky kid. _"Look, Adam is an old alpha. He knew my mother. He has a…"

"…second in command who is also his lover. Adam and Eve." Xavier finished for him. _So they're the alphas Cora was talking about._

Derek nodded. So the kid did know a bit about the alphas. "Can you tell _me _anything about them?"

Xavier nodded. "Whatever you want." And as Derek spouted off questions, the boy answered them all diligently and thoroughly.

Adam Ward was born a werewolf. He quickly mastered control over his senses and his body, rapidly becoming a powerful alpha. Though it is only a rumor, he was the first and only true alpha besides Scott McCall, but this was deemed insignificant. What really concerned hunters was his immense power. He was charismatic and

influential. Not known for his foresight, like Talia Hale, but he was likely the second most respected alpha of the time. It was he who was responsible for turning Deucalion, who ended up leaving him and forming his own Alpha pack.

Adam had met Evelyn Murray while growing up, and she readily accepted the bite from him at a young age. She also grew to be a powerful alpha after killing her own betas, much like Kali did. She was well known among other alphas for her stunning beauty as well as her ferocity and cunning thought process. Perfect mate for Adam. Together, they had nearly driven the Calavera family extinct, only to be stopped by the intervention of Gerard and Chris Argent, who banded with Araya Calavera to drive the couple out of Mexico. Though Adam was technically defeated, they achieved immense notoriety, as no wolf had even dared to hunt the family until Adam came along. Xavier suspected he did so simply to establish a reputation.

Xavier nor his family had never actually interacted with the alpha or his new pack, but there was not a single hunter in all of Asia that didn't know of Adam Ward and his prowess. If there was a real Demon Wolf, a true Apex Predator, it was him.

Derek whistled softly after Xavier finished speaking. He heard the young hunter dryly apologize for talking his ear off, but he didn't respond. The two sat in silence for a few minutes.

Xavier finally broke the cold spell. "You know, when your sister mentioned an Alpha pack she could have brought up it was this one. I would have hightailed it back to Asia."

Derek chuckled, but he stopped when he noticed that Xavier wasn't joking. "This is deep shit, Derek."

Derek rubbed his jaw with his palm. "Yeah, sure seems like it. Am I out of my league?"

Xavier shrugged. "You're Derek Hale. Adam is a monster, but I don't think anything is completely out of your league."

Derek smiled upon hearing this. It made him feel a lot better. Xavier was a prodigious hunter from a premier family. He didn't mince words. "Thanks for telling me all this." They shook hands.

The sound of a throat clearing caused both of them to turn their heads to the door. Cora had just returned from a run, and her body was drenched in sweat. "Before I strip out of my gear, can the teenager leave?"

Xavier tore his gaze away from the she-wolf. It was kind of hard. "I'll be heading out."

Derek smiled to himself. "You do that."

As Xavier brushed past Cora, she smiled at him, perhaps genuinely. "You smell nice." Derek made a face at her, and she flushed. _God, I'm an idiot._

Xavier slowed on his way to the door, but he didn't stop. "And you don't. But both of you be careful."

Cora continued to stare at the door, long after he had left. _Had he been smiling?_


	12. Calling for Backup

Stiles dropped Malia at his house, where his father promised to keep an eye on her. He and Scott were planning to visit Derek after school to tell him about the latest attack, but Stiles refused to allow Malia to wander around by herself for the next few days.

Sheriff Stilinski looked exhausted as usual, but he managed to smile at his son and his girlfriend. Malia hugged the police officer and she went to Stiles' bedroom, yawning. She still was recovering her strength.

Stiles stayed downstairs to talk to his father. "She came down with something, maybe the flu. She hasn't had her shot yet."

The sheriff raised his eyebrows. "Werewolves can get the flu?"

Stiles shrugged. "I guess so? I'm sure it's only a brief spell. Hey, I brought you a real burger this time." He yanked out a slightly squashed Big Mac from his backpack.

His father grabbed the paper bag out of his son's hands. "No veggies, right?"

Stiles laughed. "Right. Later, dad."

"Mmm."

Stiles bounded to where his friend sat waiting in his jeep. "He's all good?"

"Yeah, the burger worked like a charm. He thinks Malia is just sick."

Scott looked at him. "I don't think that works. I haven't been sick since…"

Stiles waved his hands. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. The point is, we're good. I just didn't want to tell him, 'hey dad, I'm gonna go tangle with another Alpha pack. Sound ok?"

Scott grinned sideways and nodded his understanding.

…

Cora had just stepped out of the shower when the indicator light flashed again. Derek glanced at it, then her, bemused.

She bared her teeth. "If its that kid Xavier again, I'm gonna kill him."

Derek snorted as he held in a chuckle. "I think you would die out of humiliation first. Don't worry sis, you look cute."

She was debating whether to punch him or to whip him with her towel when Scott and Stiles pushed open the door and stopped abruptly. Cora flushed. Rather than hitting her brother, hiding somewhere would have been a better idea.

Scott and Stiles stared at her. She glared. "What? A girl can't take a shower?"

Apparently not. She then began to wish it were Xavier who was standing in the doorway. He would have had the prudence to turn his head.

She hurried upstairs as Derek walked up to the two friends. "What?"

"Malia was attacked last week," Stiles began. He was talking fast, angry. Moving his hands way too much. It didn't take a detective to figure out the teenager was extremely agitated. "Some alpha beat her senseless in the woods. It's been 4 days and she's still feeling it, even with her healing."

This took Derek aback. "An alpha just, _jumped _her?"

Stiles nodded. "You bet. Those guys are going to keep harassing her. I don't know why they went after her. Why not you? No offense."

Derek wasn't offended. "No, you're right. I think Adam is just toying with us. He knows he has the more powerful pack."

This was going nowhere. Scott pressed, "but we need to do something, Derek. We can't let these guys push us around and hurt us."

Derek agreed, but it was easier to say it than it was to do it. "And how do you plan to pull this off Scott? Huh? Do we all drop out of school and hide in my loft? Do we wait for them to come to us and hopefully fight and beat them all?"

Scott looked at his feet. "We can give them the claws," he said softly.

Derek looked at him in disbelief. "Give up, you mean. We just hand it over and cower like a dog. That's not happening. I'm not giving up my mother's claws."

Scott pleaded. "Derek, think about it! We can't protect our packs. If this is all they want, we should just hand it over."

Derek remained unmoved. "I like you Scott, but you both need to leave."

Scott turned to go, but as he did so, he said, "If it ever comes down to it, I will take those claws, even if I have to rip this place apart."

…

The Argent house was dark once the sun went down, but Xavier made no move to turn on any lights. He embraced the darkness. It helped him think; it helped him sleep. Everything seemed to move slower in the dark.

The teenager lay on his back, propping his head on a couch pillow. He found himself looking at the stairwell. A photo of the late Allison Argent caught his eye. She was beautiful. Her face was strong, resilient. He could see why Scott McCall had liked her.

Xavier took a deep breath, then exhaled. It had been a long day, but he had too many questions spinning in his head, and he couldn't seem to nod off the way he usually could.

He rolled off the couch, walking deeper into the house. He opened the fridge and grabbed a water bottle. As he was twisting the cap off, a loud _click _echoed throughout the house.

Xavier froze. _The lock. _He yanked a pistol out of his waistband and snapped the safety off. Positioning himself behind the kitchen countertop table gave him a vantage point on both the main hallway and the living room.

The door swung open; Xavier could feel a slight change in the air temperature. He was sweating a little bit, and he tightened his grip on his weapon. Heavy footfalls echoed in the hallway. Whoever was in the house likely had on heavy boots, with hard soles.

A voice startled him from his thoughts. "I know you're hiding behind the countertop. You don't have to put your gun away, but at least stand up." As the intruder spoke, Xavier heard a safety click, and a handgun slip across the hardwood floor, past the tabletop, right in front of him. A gesture of trust and surrender.

Xavier wasn't so trusting. "There's no way that's all you're carrying."

The intruder chuckled. "So smart. Look, it would take awhile for me to disarm. You don't have to be so jumpy. Aren't you confident you can drop me before I get you?"

Xavier didn't have to think that one over. "Nope. There's always someone faster."

But he stood up anyways, gun aimed at the intruder.

Chris Argent didn't look surprised to see him. "Xavier."

Xavier, however, was surprised. "Mr. Argent. Mexico was kind to you."

Chris shrugged and smiled. "Couldn't find Kate. When I heard about the recent murder, I knew I had to return. Araya was kind enough to let me."

Xavier cocked an eyebrow. "Like she could have stopped you. That woman is terrifying though."

"I know, right?"

The two hunters stood together in silence for a minute. Finally Chris turned and rummaged through the fridge. "You really stocked this place well."

Xavier shrugged. "I planned to stay a while. The beer is on the top shelf," he added, as Chris began inspecting the lower drawers.

Chris muttered his thanks, emerging with two in his hand. He handed one to Xavier, then retrieved his pistol from where it lay on the kitchen floor.

"I'm guessing Ryan couldn't resist putting a man here?" Chris had a relaxed posture to him. As he took a swig of his drink, Xavier stared hard at him. He wasn't a threat. At least not to him; only an idiot would take Chris Argent lightly.

"My father was curious, yes. I wonder why Matt isn't here."

Chris seemed amused. "You're the best kid for the job." As Xavier looked at him questioningly, he held up a hand to ward off the incoming curiosity. "You're the right age, and you have a reputation. You're unpredictable, decisive, and fast. You're the perfect Cho for the job."

"What job?" Xavier asked, with more irritation in his tone than he intended. _I have a reputation among the Argents? _He was about to apologize when Chris answered his question.

"You're obviously here to watch over the events that occur here, right? Scott McCall. Derek Hale, now that he's back. Now something big has happened. I don't know whether your dad knows I'm here, but could use a partner. Especially since…" His voice railed off.

"Allison." Xavier finished the man's sentence. He jerked his head towards the hall, where Chris' daughter's portrait hung on the stairwell. "Since Allison."

"Yes," Chris whispered. He closed his eyes. "I wish you two could have met. You would have been friends."

Xavier kept his voice measured. "I bet she was a remarkable person. And a remarkable hunter."

Chris nodded. "She was. So are you. Which is why I would be honored to work with you. I need to know what you know. And I've got all night. Jet lag." He smiled grimly.

Xavier nodded to himself. "Okay." He went to the fridge and retrieved two more beers. "Take a seat, Mr. Argent."

…

Scott was still frustrated at the end of the day. "What's so special about those claws? Sure, they have powers. Derek can occasionally see his mom when he really needs her help. It's not worth his life, or our lives."

Stiles kissed the top of his sleeping girlfriend's head. Malia was a snorer. He wasn't worried about her; she could sleep through a tornado. He turned back to his friend. "I agree, man. Derek has issues though."

Scott ignored the humor. "It's the sentimental value. He just doesn't want to let it go."

Stiles added, "Not just that. Lydia said that Peter covets the claws too. Derek wants to keep them because he knows Peter wants them bad."

Scott raked his curly hair with his fingers. He was breathing hard. "He said himself that Adam and his pack is too strong. So why is he gearing up for a fight? It'll be like last time, where he does a strategic attack and we all almost die. You'd think Cora would talk some sense into him."

"Cora is a crazy chick. I think she's just down whenever there's some fighting to be had."

Scott muttered an oath. This talk wasn't helping his nerves. "I wish Mr. Argent was back. I wish we had Allison. We need numbers."

Stiles awkwardly patted his friend on the back. "We'll be fine. You always find a way."

Scott stared at him dead in the eyes. "I don't know if that's going to happen this time," he confessed.


	13. Let It Fly

"Malia Hale was attacked by the alphas." Chris concluded. Xavier nodded. He had guessed that much himself. However, he needed to know who the rest of the pack members were.

Chris supplied the answer. "Roan Shaw is the second youngest in the pack, besides Isaac. He'll be around 20 tops by now. He was actually one of Evelyn's betas, but he was so loyal, and so tough, that she spared him when it was time for her to do away with her betas. She let him go, and he found a way to become an Alpha. They then took him in. He must have joined another pack, and then devoured them. Come to think of it, he's a lot like Isaac; a much less innocent one."

Xavier took this in. "And the fifth?"

Chris didn't blink. "Best guess would be Cain Abel. Big werewolf. He devoured both of his packs before joining Adam about ten years ago. He's kinda the muscle of the group. Vicious, loyal, the perfect bodyguard."

Xavier's eyes were wide, and not from fear. Disbelief. "Cain Abel? You're not kidding me?"

Chris's mouth twitched. "Eccentric lot, I know."

Xavier thought for a second. "From what you tell me, I bet Roan and/or this guy Cain _Abel _were the ones who attacked Malia. Probably just one of them. Team Biblical only needs one guy to make the hit."

Chris nodded. "Yeah, definitely. My money would be on Cain. He enjoys that stuff."

Xavier snorted. _Monster. _"So do we talk to McCall or Derek?"

"Not necessary. I would like to keep the Alphas from knowing that two hunters are in town. Not unless it calls for it. I bet they are smart enough to be careful on their own."

_I doubt it, _thought Xavier sarcastically; remembering the time Scott flunked an easy history test despite trying to cheat off of his girlfriend's paper.

…

A week had passed without further incident, though Scott had rarely taken his mind off of the past events. Even talking to his mentor, Deaton, didn't help. Though the doctor was one of the wisest and most knowledgeable people regarding the supernatural worlds, Deaton knew little about Adam and those he worked with.

Isaac was still looming over them, giving Stiles threatening looks or unnerving Scott with his chilling smiles. He was a terror on the lacrosse field, delivering bone-jarring hits to them in practice, and delivering bone-jarring hits to other kids in games. At least they were winning, though one parent tried to sue Beacon Hills for giving their players steroids. Coach Finstock was furious and had called the parent some unkindly things, helping Isaac cement the team's youtube immortality.

After the latest game, which they had won 6-1, Scott invited Kira to his house. Stiles had opted to stay at home with his dad and Malia, whom he was forcing to remain at his house for the time being.

Kira looked wonderful. She wore a simple hoodie and tight jeans, and Scott could feel himself trying to wolf out of straight excitement to take his mind off of all the madness going on.

They were going to watch a movie, but instead they went straight to the bed.

Kira arched her back as she lay on the mattress while Scott kissed her neck, chest, stomach. "You know, you didn't have to drive me here. I could have gotten a ride."

Scott stopped kissing her. "I just don't want you by yourself ever. Its too dangerous with Adam's wolves running around, attacking people. You saw what happened to Malia?"

Kira frowned. "Who _didn't_? And I understand. I just don't want you to worry about me too much, ok?"

Scott smiled. "I don't need to worry about you at all. But I want to."

She laughed. It felt good that Scott worried about her. She worried about him too.

Though he was mostly focused on his girlfriend's body, Scott's mind also wandered back to his argument with Derek. Why couldn't the other alpha see the need to give in? He was going to get himself hurt.

Scott promised himself he would go back to Derek's loft and try and talk to him one more time. He would bring Kira, in case he needed backup.

…

Cora finished her pushups and she began stretching her legs, simultaneously reaching for her Nikes. "I'm going out," she called to her brother, who sat on his bed staring at a laptop. "Won't be long."

Derek fussed with his touchpad. "Yeah, cool."

Cora threw on her shoes and jogged out the door.

Derek continued to surf the web. He soon heard the familiar sound of Scott's bike. _Damn, is he coming for the claws?_

…

The audio bug battery just died, drawing a mumbled curse from its owner and builder. Xavier had just closed his own laptop when he happened to glance outside and noticed someone jogging past the house. The girl wore black running shoes and a neon green tank top. A closer look confirmed the runner as Cora Hale.

_Damn, she looks good. _Xavier was then struck by another thought. _She's alone._

_Fuck! Where was her brother?!_ Xavier called out, "Mr. Argent? Chris!"

No answer. _Damn it. _Xavier didn't know what to do. She was heading for the running trail that ran through the woods. It was the best place to run. Chris must be out buying supplies. He was the only one in the house.

He whipped out his phone and dialed Argent, getting only his voicemail. "Hey Chris, Cora Hale just ran past the house. Alone. I'm going to follow her. If I don't respond when you call back, please find me." _Please._

He hung up the phone, sprinting up the stairs where he kept his equipment duffels. He grabbed a particularly long bag, dragging it with him to his car. He checked his handgun to make sure it was loaded, then turned the ignition and drove towards where he knew the trail began.

…

Scott and Kira walked into the loft. Kira had her katana, but she held it loosely at her side. Derek was waiting for them.

Scott held his hands up. "Derek, I'm sorry for threatening you. We're not here to fight."

Derek visibly relaxed. "Glad to hear it. What's up?

Scott took a deep breath. "I still want you to consider giving up the claws."

Impatience washed over Derek. "Scott, I get what you're saying. I really do. I can't. They mean too much to me; they're worth too much to me. They're the keys to my past, my legacy, and my family. I need them."

Scott bowed his head. "Please Derek. Do it for your family. Do it for your sister."

Derek tilted his head. "She would want me to keep them too."

Kira suddenly spun around. "Where is Cora, if I may ask?"

Derek followed her gaze…to the door. "She went out jogging." His eyes bulged in horror. "Oh shit."

…

Xavier parked his car where the woodlands trail went into the trees. He hadn't dared tried to trail Cora by foot; she was likely too fast for even him. Sometimes, he definitely wished he had some of the perks a werewolf enjoyed, even that of an omega. The speed could really come in handy in his line of work.

He smiled ruefully. _How ironic, to envy those you hunt. _He couldn't afford to give it too much thought. It was just a hunch, but he felt that Cora was going to need his help. She shouldn't be out alone, especially this late, especially in the woods. Cora was a tough one, but she needed to know that she was dealing with creatures that were out of her league.

_Fuck, they're way out my league._ Xavier shivered, though his leather jacket was keeping him quite warm. He yanked on a pair of combat gloves, with padding because his palms were starting to sweat. He grabbed the duffel out of his trunk and slung it to his back. Yanking out his cell phone, he opened the program that he used to track Evelyn and Isaac through the woods over a week ago by way of heat signature. He locked onto Cora. She was about a mile in front of him. He began to run.

…

Derek was in a rage. "Where the hell would she go?"

"I don't know!" Scott yelled back. "I'm no runner."

Kira's face was white with fear, but she was thinking straight. "My best guess would be the Woodland trail. When I ran cross country, it was my favorite path. Allison and Isaac also ran there."

Derek looked at both of them. "Help me," he begged. "Help me find her."

Scott nodded. He turned to Kira. "Is it far?"

She scrunched up her face. "From here it is."

…

Xavier had been running for about 5 minutes when Cora's heat signature veered off the path. She was moving faster, and deviating from her normal course by a vast margin, heading back towards the town in a straight line. She was being chased..

Xavier leaped off the path, bee-lining towards her location. He just prayed that they wouldn't catch her.

…

Cora collapsed after Cain's final strike, her face bruised and bleeding. Her hair was caked with dirt and her own blood. She was exhausted after attempting to flee, and trying to fight probably wasn't the best idea.

Apparently "final" was premature. The huge alpha then delivered a tremendous kick to her midsection as she lay on the ground. She cried out and held out her arm, as if it would help ward off whatever punishment that was coming next.

It didn't. Cain picked her off the ground, grabbed her by the throat and slammed her against twice a tree. Throwing her back on the ground, he placed his foot on her chest. As she struggled to breath, he shifted his foot so it rested on her throat. She was completely beaten, none of her considerable spirit left in her. She tried to scream, but only managed to gasp out, "Derek."

…

Xavier skidded to a stop as three more heat signatures abruptly popped up on his phone screen. All werewolves.

…

Evelyn knelt down next to the struggling Cora, gently caressing her face. "I can get him to stop, you know. Just tell me where the claws are."

Cora whimpered, but she still managed to slightly shake her head. So, the defiance wasn't completely broken yet. She motioned for Cain to lessen the pressure on the other she-wolf. She whispered in Cora's ear, her lips grazing the other girl's cheek. "Derek isn't coming for you. You're alone."

Cora made no indication to give in. Evelyn sighed and stood up. "We're taking her to Adam. Let's see how far Derek will go for his beautiful little sister."

…

Xavier had found a cliffside overlooking the vast woodland area between him and the town. There was an abandoned, rusted, dented van near the edge, and he lay next to it, on his stomach. He had quickly assembled the Barrett 50-caliber sniper rifle he brought in the duffel and was now scanning the area below with his scope. His phone still indicated that Cora was just under a half mile out, but the Barrett's power scope was plenty powerful enough to sight that far.

There they were. His heart sank. Cora was lying on her back, not moving. Cain, Roan, and Evelyn were all standing over her. Cain had his foot pressed onto her neck. Her eyes were closed, and she was covered in blood. He hoped it wasn't all hers.

The hunter slid the loading mechanism, chambering a round. He had serrated all of his rifle rounds, and hollowed out the tips. Maximum damage for a dangerous target; innovations like these are what gives hunters a sliver of a chance against alphas.

She was definitely alive; Evelyn wasn't stupid enough to kill the girl. The one thing Derek didn't tell him was whatever the Alphas wanted of him. Cora would serve as excellent leverage.

His phone sat next to him, still silent. Argent wasn't responding. It was three on one, and he couldn't afford to outthink himself here. Cora may already be done for.

Xavier slid off his glove, licking his fingers and testing the wind. There was a fair breeze, and a particularly strong gust whipped up the dirt around him a bit. A few leaves pelted him on the side of the face. He grunted. He was wearing a hoodie under his jacket and he now yanked the hood over his head.

He focused his sight, laying the reticle over Cain's head. _We'll take out the big one first. _This shot had to be perfect; he needed to eliminate Cain on the first shot or Cora was done. He lowered the reticle until it was resting on just the right side of his jaw. The big alpha stood squarely facing Xavier, his foot still grinding on Cora's throat.

_Breathe in, breathe out, slower and slower. _On his third exhale, he held it. Soon, he could hear his heart beating in his ears. A common misconception with sniper rifles was that the marksman would hold his breath before firing. Xavier found it much more effective to exhale first. _Stay calm, just a little longer. _His heart beat once, twice, three times, seemingly slowing down with each beat. _Wind, bullet drop, hollow point. _Between the fourth and fifth beats, he softly squeezed the trigger.


	14. The Devil's Lust

The shot was true. The hollow-jacketed round screamed through the air, gravity and wind just affecting the bullet to deviate off of its course towards Cain's jawbone. It slammed into the alpha's throat, shattering just upon impact. The metal particles tore through the Cain's throat, mangling the tissue and dropping him almost instantly. A perfect shot.

Cora gasped, her hands instinctively cupping her throat, suddenly free. For a moment, she was completely forgotten. Roan roared in surprise and fear. Evelyn's eyes were wide with shock.

Suddenly, she whipped around, sighting the cliffside nearly 1000 yards away. With a savage snarl, she began to sprint towards it.

…

_No fucking way. _A second of elation after his perfect shot had been immediately followed by one of disbelief. Evelyn had figured out where he was, almost instantly. Now she was coming for him.

It was incredibly tempting to try his hand at putting a shot into the incoming alpha, but he knew he was out of options, if he wanted to live. He had to get out of there.

In one fluid motion, he swept his rifle underneath the rusting van and sprang to his feet. He would come back for it later. If there was a later. He began to run along the cliffside as fast as he could. It eventually ran back to near where he parked his car. If he could beat the alphas to he lot, he could get away.

Xavier was an excellent athlete, but he recognized his situation was nearly hopeless. The one thing that couldn't have gone wrong did. They knew where he was. He couldn't even fathom how. _Goddamn werewolves. _This is why he envied their powers.

His thoughts had left his distracted. Evelyn burst out of the foliage, blocking his path. Before Xavier could even think, she lunged at him, fast and low.

He didn't have any time to even pull his gun. He instead leapt skyward, arching his body to try and gain altitude. Instinctively, one arm covered the throat while the other one wrapped around his chest, shielding his arteries.

A rush of air whipped around him as Evelyn shot underneath him; the sound of it punctuated by her snarl of surprise and fury. Xavier landed hard on his back, right by the edge of the ledge. He heard the spray of dirt as the female alpha planted her feet, already moving to charge in again.

He briefly thought about going for his Chinese ring daggers, located in his jacket, but she was definitely too fast for him. There was only one other way to go.

He rolled sideways and threw himself off the side of the cliff. It was a long way down, but he was betting that Evelyn would be slower to follow, opting instead to go around. He then had a shot to make it back to the town, maybe the police station before she caught him.

He was bouncing down the cliffside, too fast. Yanking out a dagger, he stabbed the earth, trying to slow himself down. It was working; he was beginning to stop. He wondered if Cora had gotten away.

His head then struck something hard, lighting up his vision. He saw stars. If he hadn't slowed his fall down with the knife, the impact would have easily killed him. It no longer mattered. He was finished.

…

At first he heard only talking. As his eyes opened, he saw Evelyn standing over him. Roan was nearby, holding Cora, pinning her arms behind her back. Evelyn sauntered over to where Roan stood with Cora. "I must say, that was a pretty good rescue attempt, for a kid. And the shot was even better. Who taught you to shoot like that?"

Xavier didn't answer. He couldn't. His own blood was clogging his throat, choking him. He was concussed, badly. He couldn't move his arms either. _Is my back broken? _The odd thing was, he wasn't hurting that badly. Its like his nervous system had switched off. His entire body had shut down on him. His body was in shock.

He was going to die. They were going to kill him, and then they would take Cora hostage, as leverage against Derek. He had eliminated Cain, but he had still failed to help her. _I'm sorry. I'm so sorry._

Evelyn wafted back over to where he lay. She clucked her tongue when she saw the large gash on the back of his head. "That tree did a number on you. You got balls kid, I'll give you that. You might have gotten away if it weren't for that." She knelt down, straddling his stomach, effectively pinning Xavier to the ground. The scent of her perfume was overwhelming. She leaned in close, her eyes locking with his. He looked away, instead looking at Cora. She gave him a helpless look in return.

Evelyn followed his gaze to Cora, and then looked back at him. She smiled knowingly. She placed her hands on his chest, gently caressing him, almost sexually. "Too bad," she grinned.

Without warning, she pressed down, hard, on his chest. He felt his ribs crack, then break. The force of the blow may have saved his life; all the blood clogging his throat was expelled from his system, most of it splattering on Evelyn's face and hair.

She smiled happily, watching as he desperately gulped in air, her tongue snaking out, licking some of the blood around her mouth and then licking her lips. "You taste good, handsome. But its time to say goodbye."

As she finished speaking, a projectile whistled into view. Xavier recognized it and immediately closed his eyes tight. The flashbang arrow made a _thunk _as it impacted with a tree and a thunderous sound followed. Xavier could see the flash of light even through his eyelids.

He opened his eyes and saw Cora move, her arm a blur as she broke Roan's chokehold and put the alpha on the ground. Evelyn howled, her hands covering her face from the light. Cora took full advantage of the distraction, fleeing towards the town. She gave him one last fleeting, hesitant look, but she did not stop, running only like a werewolf could.

Xavier tried to kick his legs, to get any sort of distance away from the two Alphas, but it was not needed. Evelyn screamed at Roan, "Get the girl! This one is already done for."

_True words, Lady MacBeth, _Xavier thought dryly, despite his situation. Roan lurched off and Evelyn was right with him. They left Xavier writhing on the ground, bleeding out. He was beginning to lose consciousness, from the combined effects of blood loss and his concussion.

The next thing he knew, strong arms were holding him, dragging him across the ground. He weakly tried to struggle, but his arms still weren't responding. He knew his back was thankfully intact because he had been able to turn his head away from the flashbang arrow when it blew. It was probably just the effects from the concussion.

He groaned. There was some shuffling, and Chris Argent's head swam into his view. "I came as soon as I could. I tracked you by your phone." He didn't tell the injured boy his assessment. _He feels broken._

The shock was wearing off. Xavier grimaced as Argent opened his car door, and heaved the younger hunter in the back seat. The pain was excruciating. "I think my ribcage is smashed."

"Yeah. Ribs. Concussion. And that head wound; you're losing more blood than you would want. We gotta get you to the hospital."

Xavier tried to protest, but all he managed to do was to feebly wave his hand. Chris didn't even see him; he was in the front seat. Xavier blacked out again.

…

Derek burst out of his loft, adrenaline pulsing in his veins. He had barely made it a block away from his home when Cora rounded the corner, bloodstained and gasping.

Derek slowed down, and grabbed his sister around the waist. She tried to fight out of his grip, snarling. He spun her around to face him. "Cora! It's me! Stop, its me."

As realization crossed her face, her strength left her. She crumpled in his arms, burying her face in his shoulder. She was sobbing uncontrollably. Derek hugged her tight while Scott awkwardly patted her on the back. They carried her back to the loft, where they sat her on Derek's bed. Derek ripped off his bloodstained shirt while his sister composed herself.

Derek sat down on the floor facing her. "Cora, what happened? Take your time."

Kira pressed a cloth to Cora's head, where a long cut was still bleeding. Scott held her hand; trying to take whatever physical pain she was feeling. Cora tugged her hand away. "I'm not that badly hurt. Most of the blood is his."

Derek's eyes snapped up. "Whose?"

"Cain's. He's dead. The hunter, Xavier killed him." Scott's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. Kira looked at him nervously.

"I was going to tell you. I really was. It just kind of slipped my mind after Malia was attacked," she stammered.

Scott wasn't angry; he was astounded that he didn't even once think about how the kid who lived in the Argent's house could have been a hunter, rather than a supernatural.

Derek took his sister's hand from Scott. "If you're not that hurt, then why are you upset?"

Cora still looked scared, but she held everything in. "They killed him. Evelyn and the other guy caught him after he tried to save me. She crushed his chest, just like that. I could hear his body just break. He was dying, and I think he threw some flash grenade, because it blew and I managed to get away."

Scott spoke slowly, like he was still trying to wrap his head around all that was being revealed. "So Xavier is, _was_ a hunter. He was watching us, and he just saved Cora?"

Cora nodded, taking the cloth from Kira and pressing it against her face. Derek looked at the ground. "He was a Cho. A great family of hunters." He briefly explained to Scott what he knew about Xavier. "He probably saw Malia and figured out the Alpha pack did it. Then he probably saw Cora running, and he chose to follow her, in case something happened. Which it did."

Cora looked at her shoes, regret etched across her face. "I ran past his house on purpose. I didn't ring the doorbell or anything, I was just curious to see if he was home." She kicked off her sneakers, and then flung them across the room in anger.

"After he blinded them, I ran. Both of the remaining alphas chased me. I only got away because I know these woods better. They left him there to die."

Derek sighed. "There's nothing we can do now. Scott, Kira, go home. We'll talk about what to do another day. The police will find him tomorrow."

…

Chris burst into the hospital emergency room, dragging an unconscious Xavier by the arms. "I need help!" he yelled. "He's got broken ribs, and I think internal bleeding. He's in shock and bleeding out."

Melissa McCall recognized the man, and she immediately ran to help. "Chris? What happened to him?"

"Can't explain now," the veteran hunter murmured. "But if he doesn't get worked on, he'll be in big trouble."

Melissa snapped gloves on her hands and joined two other doctors in operating on Xavier. Chris sat in the lobby to wait.

…

"There were five broken ribs, one of which nearly punctured his lung. He's lucky. However, most of the breaks were not complete ones, and he has a healthy, strong body. He'll be back on his feet within a couple weeks. No fighting werewolves for him, not for a while." Chris leaned back in his chair, relief flooding through him.

He grabbed Melissa's hand. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

She smiled at him. "Its what we do." Just then, Scott walked into the lobby.

Chris waved. "Scott."

For the second time that night, Scott was floored. "Mr. Argent. Mom. Did he just get back?"

"Yes," answered Chris. "If Cora Hale is wondering, Xavier will make it."

Scott's jaw hung open. "He's _alive_?"

"Uh, well, yeah."

…

Scott cringed when he saw him. Xavier was immobilized by straps, as the doctors wanted to stabilize his body for the primary stages of recovery. His head gash had been sewn closed. The doctors had washed most of the blood off of his body, but Scott could still see dry crusts on his skin. His breaths were incredibly shallow, and he was hooked onto oxygen because trying to breathe just natural air required too much consistent effort out of his lungs for the time being.

Chris held Scott's shoulder. "Don't bother trying to talk to him. He's asleep, and he's pretty badly concussed. He said something about leaping off a cliff to try and escape from them."

Scott winced. "Bad gamble. He must have hit his head on a rock or something on the way down."

Chris corrected him. "Good gamble. If he didn't dive, they probably would have killed him."

Scott regarded him. "Are all good hunters this fearless?"

Chris shook his head solemnly. "He's unpredictable. One day, it will get him killed, or it may again save his life."

…

Once Scott had left, promising to return and check up on Xavier sometime in the next week, Chris paid the injured hunter a visit. Xavier had gasped that he didn't want pain relief, but the doctors had overall decided that he was in no position to decide. They had given him a concentrated dose of opium, and the hunter was drifting in and out of peaceful sleep.

Chris stood by Xavier's bed, fatigue showing on his weathered features. "Is there anything I can do for you? Water?"

Xavier's eyelids fluttered, but his eyes didn't focus on him. Chris turned to leave when he heard a slight tapping sound. He looked down and saw Xavier's fingers, nails rapping against the metal bed railing. Morse code. He crouched over, listening intently.

_Don't leave me. Please._

A pang shot through Chris. The poor boy was all doped up, and he was still sharp; focusing enough to tap out morse code to him. He had gone through a lot in the past few hours. Chris had heard all about the intense training Ryan Cho liked to impose on his hunters, particularly his sons, but there was no way Xavier had ever experienced having his body smashed up like he had tonight. _A machine._

It was clear to Chris that the young man was scared. Those animals had done something to him; Chris hoped that they hadn't broken his will, or else he was dead before he got out of that hospital.


	15. Clearing the Air

Isaac wasn't at school the following week. Neither was Xavier, though Scott and his friends knew why. Stiles was astounded that the creepy new guy had been a hunter all along. "I totally had him picked as another Alpha. Or maybe a kanima. He's so much unlike Jackson, it would make sense."

Scott stared at him. "_That_ made _no_ sense. C'mon, Malia and Kira are waiting."

The boys joined their girlfriends for lunch. After fully recovering from her wounds, Malia's energy returned for the most part. Hearing of Cain's demise had only made her feel even more secure.

Stiles rubbed Malia softly on the back as she devoured a burger. He had missed her; he had missed her old personality. Now as she reached over and stole his burger out of the paper bag, he was beginning to wish she had not entirely returned to normal. "So," she said, smacking her lips, "he's still in the hospital?"

Stiles nodded. "Yeah. They took him off the ventilator and the restraints, but he'll need another two weeks before they'll let him go back home. Argent has been with him every day."

Scott added, "He's scared. He's scared that when Argent leaves, the alphas will come and finish him. Closing hours must suck."

"What does your mom think about him?" Kira hadn't spoken up until now. Scott sensed she was still angry with herself for not telling him about Xavier being a hunter. She was afraid that she had betrayed their trust. Scott didn't see it that way. She made a judgment, and then forgot about it. It happens.

He gave her a reassuring smile. "She loves him. He calls her ma'am, says thank you. Model kid. Sometimes she wonders if he was abused when he was younger. Apparently he always acts guarded, even when he's in such a vulnerable state."

"Pfft. I would," Malia put in.

"I talked to Argent. He told me the Cho's were known for being harsh teachers when training their kids to become hunters. They believe it prepares them for taking on werewolves." Scott found himself smiling a little as he spoke. It sounded like he was history class, only he was teaching a Yukimura instead of the other way around.

"How's Cora?" Malia's voice came in softly, like she already knew what the answer would be like. Scott took a bite out of his lunch before answering.

"She's…well…she's coping. I think Cora feels responsible for all that's happened. I mean, she kind of is, but it isn't her fault. She doesn't like the fact that she needed his help and ended up getting the guy hurt. She cares about him."

Stiles chewed on his own food thoughtfully. "She cried, you said?"

"Yeah, she was bawling, at least really briefly."

Stiles blew out his air. "Damn. Imagine that. Then again, I thought Cora just hated the world for kicks."

…

Adam hadn't spoken to them all week. Isaac and Roan were forbidden to leave the woods, yet they were not allowed inside the cabin for most of the time. Adam stayed inside, sometimes alone, and sometimes with Evelyn. The news of Cain's death had not outraged him, but he was without a doubt upset.

When Eve had told him, he had merely bowed his head, politely asking the younger wolves to leave them in silence. His calm reaction to the loss of one of his own scared Isaac more than Cain's death did.

Of course, the event was concerning as well. A hunter had come into Beacon Hills and ambushed three alphas in the middle of the woods. When Evelyn had described the teenager, Isaac had deduced it as Xavier, the Chinese teen who had enrolled in the school a few days before he returned. He had no idea the guy was a hunter. And from the looks of it, he was good. And alive.

Isaac and Roan had returned to the spot where Evelyn had injured Xavier. He only found the ground caked with blood, with faint, sloppy trails leading towards town.

Isaac squeezed his eyes shut in frustration. He didn't want this. He joined Adam to try and get Talia Hale's claws. He didn't ask for elite hunters to come after him and his new pack.

He had already confided his fears to Roan and the other alpha had agreed with him. They both had their different reasons for joining Adam. Isaac was beginning to question his own.

…

Scott would never forget, but as monotony persisted, he and his friends once again sank into routine. Kira and he continued to date, and he began to think less about Xavier or Allison. Instead he focused on his history, lacrosse, and his relationship, which was coming along nicely.

Stiles and Malia were following their example, though it was clear to the true alpha that his best friend was anxious for the action to start once again.

Isaac had returned to school a week back, and he continued to prowl the halls, as if he was looking for something. Or someone. Scott had warned him, with a threat, that if Isaac touched Xavier, he and Derek would hurt him badly, in broad daylight if need be. The warning seemed to be effective. Isaac wasn't even angered. He just looked at Scott with weariness and a hint of regret on his face.

It was curious. Scott finally acted upon that when he cornered the other alpha after his last class. "Isaac, can we talk? Just talk."

Isaac's face contorted, but he finally nodded. The two went to the across field and sat on the empty bleachers. For a long while, neither boy said anything.

Finally, Scott broke the silence. "C'mon man, you got to let me in. Why would you want Adam to have the claws?"

Isaac didn't answer the question. "Why aren't you angry at him?"

"What?"

"Stiles. Why don't you hate him? For Allison?"

Realization dawned on Scott. "Isaac, that wasn't him. It was the Nogitsune! He controlled the Oni."

Isaac shook his head slowly, his face pained just from thinking about her death. "It doesn't matter. He had them kill her. They should have killed me, but she shot it with the silver arrow. She saved me, and now she's dead. How can you forgive that?"

Scott remained firm. "There is nothing to forgive. That wasn't Stiles and you know it. If that's why you've been stalking him around school, then you have to stop. Isaac, please! Hurting him won't bring her back."

Isaac looked at him, a mixture of sorrow and hate in his eyes. "I remember when you hit me after I started dating her. She spoke to you as she died. She chose you in the end! But I loved her more than you ever did, and you know it. That's why you don't hate him. You didn't love her enough."

Scott had no answer for that. He had always known that Isaac was a shattered soul, but now he was seeing how much. Few people have suffered as much emotional trauma as that kid had. He bowed his head, feeling tears build up in his eyes. "But why are you with _him_, Isaac? What can he do for you?"

Isaac raised his head, his face already streaked with his own tears. He clenched his teeth. "The claws, Scott. He can bring her back."

"That's not true, Isaac." Both teenagers whirled around. Derek stood on the field before them, his hands stuffed in his pockets. His face looked indifferent as always, but Scott could hear the sympathy in his voice. "My mother's claws are powerful, but they can't bring back the dead. If they could…" His voice trailed off.

Scott understood. If they could, Derek would have brought his entire family back. He could also see that Isaac had made the connection as well.

"The claws have the power to retrieve or transmit memories, from those who are cut by them, or from Talia herself. They give bearers great destructive power, as long as they can control them. It's too dangerous for us, and if Adam got his hands on them, he could be near invincible. That's why we can't give them up. Yes, they belong to my kin, but even if I gave them up, there would be nothing to stop Adam from wiping us out. And I'm willing to be that he goes after the hunter families next." Derek wiped a bead of sweat off of his forehead. Clearly the prospect of facing Adam without Talia's claws unnerved him.

Isaac licked his lips. "So he lied to me? He can't bring her back?"

Derek shook his head slowly. "Not a chance. She wasn't like Kate; having had her throat slashed. Kate only survived because her healing was triggered just as she died. Allison was stabbed by an Oni. No supernatural power can bring her back."

Isaac bowed his head as if he had been struck. Suddenly, he looked up, his face pale. There, by the tree line, Adam and Evelyn stood, watching the trio.

Scott growled, anticipating a fight. Derek tensed and took a step forward as well, but Isaac grabbed both of their arms. "No, we can't beat them. Not now, not here. Not in front of the school in daylight."

Scott looked at him. "We?"

Isaac gave him a wry grin. "Is that okay?"

Scott smiled. He smiled wider than he had all semester. "Yeah. Wlecome back to Beacon Hills, Isaac."

Derek cut in. "Guys…let's go." Keeping his eyes on Adam, who gave him a mocking wave, the three werewolves inched away, back towards the school's main building.

…

Evelyn glanced at her love. Despite his mocking smile and sarcastic wave, Adam's face was tight and his lips were pressed together. Derek and his wolves couldn't tell from the distance they stood, but her mate was not pleased.

Neither of them spoke for a couple minutes, and neither of them moved from their spot. Finally Evelyn couldn't hold it in. "You just let him go? Isaac?"

Adam remained silent. Evelyn could hear a low growl in his throat. He squinted into the distance, where Isaac was now climbing into Derek's Camaro, with Scott behind them revving his bike.

The she-wolf had enough. "Adam, look at me and answer my question." Eve respected and followed Adam, but there was a difference between respect and fear. She only felt the former.

Adam's eyes bored into her, but she didn't blink. His shoulders slumped a bit. "I knew Isaac wasn't going to last long. I know the claws can't bring Allison Argent back. Not like I would have done it anyway."

Evelyn had not known this. "The claws can't bring dead ones back?"

"No. They grant amazing power, provided by the alpha wielding them can control it. Few can. We can. But reincarnation is not included on the list."

Evelyn was still a bit confused. "If you had n chance to rein him, why let him join us? We're you going to kill him once you got the claws?"

"If need be. If he turned on us when he found out I lied to him. Otherwise he would have been another weapon for us. Like Cain and Roan."

Despite his materialistic descriptions for this pack, Evelyn knew he cared, to some extent, for Roan and Cain. Maybe Isaac was a bit of an instrument, but the other two had been with the two of them from near the start. And within a blink of an eye, Cain was dead, killed by a teenage hunter. "And what of the hunter?"

Adam grunted. "Argent is with him at all times. We'll kill him when he comes after us again."

Evelyn grinned. "You really think he'll come back? That goes beyond stupidity."

Adam shot her a steely look. "You broke his body, and he somehow survived, and he's healing fast. He went after three of you by himself in the woods. He'll be back, and he won't stop until we end him."

Evelyn's smile faded. He was right. If only she had killed him on the spot. But even if Argent had helped him, he should have never made it to the hospital alive. _Tough little bitch. _"He'll heal fast, as you said. We'll kill him then. Along with him, Derek and his pack."


	16. Creme Brule

"Isaac!" Melissa McCall greeted her unofficial second son with a huge smile and a bigger hug. Isaac laughed; he couldn't help it. Melissa was just that kind of person.

She backed away to arms length. "Have you gotten taller? When did you get back?"

"Uhh…" Isaac stammered, glancing at Scott questioningly.

"…just yesterday!" Scott finished for his friend. "Yeah, he just, uhh, flew back in. From Mexico. Right?" He flicked his eyebrows. _Play along._

"…right." Said Isaac. He winced. "Mexico."

Melissa looked from one boy to another, her eyebrows raised. "Okay. Mexico it is. Well, I'm going to be making dinner soon. Is Isaac staying?"

Scott nodded. "What're we having?"

Melissa turned and went back into the kitchen. "Mexican," she tossed over her shoulder.

…

"You're a terrible liar," Isaac told Scott as soon as they had shut the door to his room. "Mexico?"

Scott tossed his bookbag onto his bead. "Thanks for backing me up. If you hadn't looked so confused, she would have bought it."

"Whatever," Isaac huffed, tossing himself onto the armchair in the corner. He listened attentively for the next ten minutes as Scott briefly explained Xavier's role in the past few weeks, as well as Chris Argent's return from Mexico. "Is that why you used Mexico when talking you your mom?"

Scott could only shrug helplessly.

Isaac leaned towards him, a look of concern on his face. "What about Stiles? Will he, you know, will we be cool?"

Scott grinned. "Kind of like I said earlier. Stiles will let you back in. Everyone will. We all loved Allison. We get it. I think many of us would have done drastic things to try and get her back." He put his hand on Isaac's shoulder. "Even though we didn't, and you did, we understand. In a way, we get it."

Isaac smiled to himself. "But Stiles is Stiles."

Scott laughed. "Right, he'll act pretty weird about it for a few."

…

Stepping out of the lobby, harsh rays of sunlight greeted Xavier as he exited the hospital. Blinking furiously, he spotted his ride. Chris Argent was waiting for him. The elder hunter was leaning next to his shiny SUV, a small smile on his face once he saw Xavier.

He opened the door as the teenager drew near, walking without aid. Xavier still felt a lot of pain in his chest, but he had healed very quickly, and getting rest was the only prescription he had left the hospital with.

"The prodigal son returns," Chris remarked. Xavier laughed softly.

"You know, Chris, prodigal son doesn't mean 'the kid who came back.' It means 'the kid who spent too much.' It's a misconception."

Argent's smile vanished. He kicked at his shoes. "Whatever. Just get in the car." Xavier laughed again, easing himself into the vehicle as Argent kicked the ignition on.

As they drove back to his house, Xavier turned to him, about to say something. Argent cut him off. "I retrieved your rifle a few days ago. Right where your phone said." Xavier sat back in his seat, satisfied.

"You know me."

Argent snorted. "It wasn't a hard guess."

…

The next few days of school were among the best of that school year so far. With the allegiance of Isaac off his plate, Scott was able to focus more on his studies and lacrosse. Everyone had quickly welcomed Isaac back, and readily understanding his role and reasons regarding Adam's pack. Stiles had still been jumpy around the alpha, but he had warmed up just as quickly as anyone else.

"So how did you become, you know, all scary and stuff?" Stiles asked Isaac one day. He made a monster impression with his arms to emphasize his question. Isaac looked confused. "An alpha," Stiles clarified.

"Oh. Well." Isaac shuffled uncomfortably.

Stiles' eyes widened. "Did you kill an Alpha?"

"No," Isaac answered quickly. "I didn't kill a pack of betas either. I never had a pack."

Scott probed, "So?"

Isaac looked at him dead in the eye. Realization began creeping in. "Isaac…are you…a _true alpha_?"

Isaac grinned weakly. "I thought that kind of stuff never happened."

Scott was floored, but as he gave it more thought, it made sense. If anyone he knew would be a true alpha besides him, it was easily Isaac. He had a big heart, he was loyal to a fault, and he was recklessly courageous.

Stiles beamed. "Awesome. Holy crap. Now we can gang on and beat up Derek whenever he's being scary or a dick."

…

Xavier taped up his ribs rightly with surgical tape, cursing as each uneven wraparound send a shot of pain up his chest. He wasn't very good at this; couldn't get the stuff to stay in place.

He had refused painkillers throughout his recovery period, because he hated the feeling of not being in sync with his body. Argent had been concerned about the possibility that the lack of numbing would open him to further injury, but Xavier had dismissed the worry. He would get stronger through this. He wanted to remember every bit of it.

Argent had finally relented, mumbling something about the insanity of Ryan Cho's principals. It really wasn't that bad; Xavier's ribs were almost fully healed. _Thank God ribs heal so fast. Next time, they should break my legs._

Chris had said that day that he was going to be out all night. Something about retrieving some supplies from his penthouse, where he and Allison had moved to the prior year, before she was killed by the Oni.

Even though they had just met a few weeks ago, Xavier was feeling genuinely unhappy for Chris. The man had too much on his plate. He had lost his daughter; he was always working. Now he had to save the skin of a hunter from a different family. He felt his teeth grind together in frustration. All he did was make life more difficult for Chris Argent.

Sometimes he caught the older man standing alone in the kitchen late at night, various pictures of his family in one hand, and an alcoholic beverage in the other. It was obvious Chris wasn't getting himself drunk; he was always sharp as ever the morning after. But he was crying every time he did this. Sometimes, Xavier stood just out of sight. He just didn't want to leave the older man by himself.

Xavier's emotions had always a tad more apparent when compared to that of his older brother, Matt. Matt was the seasonal pro: calm, collected, cold, and efficient. His father had called him a phenom. Xavier called him predictable.

Regardless of the love Ryan held for his sons, he still readily disciplined the two boys and he favored a trial by fire method of training. Hence Xavier's tolerance, and even disdain for pain. A man taught to be a machine.

A soft knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, making him jump a little. _Fuck it. _Ripping the crumpled mess of tape off his body, he hastily yanked on a shirt and went to the door, a gun hidden in his jeans and a dagger stuffed in his sleeve.

…

Scott parked the bike and kicked the kickstand in place. Kira slid off the back, pulling her helmet off cautiously. "Scott, where are we?"

"Wait and see," the alpha said mysteriously. They had parked along a long winding trail, not one unlike the running path that snaked through the woods. However, they were not in the woods. Scott had taken her somewhere special. The two proceeded down the path by foot, Scott holding Kira's hand.

Kira gasped softly, then laughed.

Lydia's lake house loomed in front of them. The redheaded girl herself stood on the porch, impatiently twirling a set of keys on her finger. "Late. Five minutes."

Scott shrugged. "Long red light?"

Lydia tossed her hair, letting the tips brush Scott's face, making him sneeze. Kira jumped. Lydia smiled, dropping the keys in the boy's hand. "Don't make a mess."

Scott tossed the keys from one hand to the other. "Aren't you getting this place sold?"

"Nope," Lydia said, as she climbed into her car. "No one could afford it."

…

Scott rolled his eyes as they entered the house, closing the door behind him. "No one could afford it." He mimicked Lydia, probably throwing way too much pitch in his voice. Kira giggled.

He quickly and unexpectedly scooped her up, causing her to yelp. He kissed her cheek. "Tonight's our night."

He was interrupted by a loud clanging sound. Dropping Kira, who barely managed to land on her feet, Scott hurried towards the source of the sound. Kira followed, rubbing her elbow and looking disgruntled.

Isaac lay sprawled on the kitchen floor, stomach first. A chair was on its side, next to his body. It was apparent that he had tripped over it. The fallen boy looked up at the couple, his mouth hanging wide open. He looked an awful lot like Stiles with that expression.

Kira stared at the prone werewolf only for a second. Because on the dinner table, neatly arranged, was an extravagant dinner for two, complete with candles and a flower vase. "Isaac…did you _cook _all this?"

Isaac groaned from his spot on the floor. "Hell yeah. You think Scott coulda done this?"

Kira glanced at her boyfriend, who had his head buried in his hands. He was blushing furiously. She tried to come up with something, _anything_ to help him save face. "Well, it was really thoughtful for Scott to ask you to cook a really awesome meal for just the two of us! Thanks babe!"

From both Scott and Isaac's reaction, her response didn't have the desired effect. After a really awkward moment, Isaac put a fake, goofy smile on his face. "Yeah, thanks _Scott_!" Kira groaned.

Scott hissed at his friend furiously. "You were supposed to leave with Lydia."

Isaac made no effort to hide his tone. "I tripped while putting the flowers on the table, okay? No wolfsbane, promise." Kira pretended not to hear.

Isaac grinned and patted his alpha on the back, then scurried out the front door.

…

"Well, that went as planned." Scott sighed as he helped Kira into her chair.

Kira looked around, smiling. "Is Stiles hiding around here still? Malia?"

Scott laughed. "No, no. Stiles can't cook."

"Neither can you," Kira pointed out. Scott suddenly became very interested in the roast beef and didn't answer.

Despite eating food cooked by her boyfriend's beta, Kira had to admit she was impressed. Isaac had prepped beef, salmon, rice, broccoli, and noodles. She recalled the boy once telling her that he always cooked the food for him and his dad, when he was still an abused teenager. It was really good.

There was a sticky note on the flower vase. In messy cursive, it explained there was a batch of crème brule in the microwave. Retrieving it, the couple decided to eat it in the living room, where Lydia's family had a flat screen TV. Kira rummaged through the shelves, holding up a DVD. Star Wars. "This time, we'll actually watch it."

Scott agreed. As she popped the disc in, he remarked, "Isaac is a good cook."

Kira nodded her head. "He is."

Scott cracked a half smile. "Too bad I'm not. I wish I could have made that."

Kira sidled up to him. "Lucky for you, I am." She kissed him on the lips.

Moving suddenly, Scott cradled her face and kissed her back. She didn't resist. As the Star Wars theme song played in the background, he pushed himself on her and the two began to make out.

The crème brule sat on the coffee table, untouched.

**Hey everyone who's stuck with me through this so far! Thanks for reading. Its kind of crazy; this is the first and only thing i've written that's been longer than just a midterm paper. Fun fact: Animal Farm was less than 25,000 words. Anyways, I wanted to clarify a question someone had. I'm writing this fanfic keeping everything intact except for Liam's existence. I like him, but since he's new, I'm kind of just pretending he's nothing more than a background set piece. Anyways, that's all. Thanks for reading and the review/kind comments!**


	17. Sweet Dreams

Cora Hale stood in the doorway. She wore tight jeans and a light unzipped hoodie.

Xavier stared at her for perhaps a tad longer than was normal, or acceptable. "Uh, hi. Chris isn't here; he said he'd be back tomorrow.

Cora smiled at him, hungrily. She echoed his words from the first time they spoke privately. "You'll do."

The hunter's eyebrows flicked up by a fraction. Cora cocked her head to the side. "Aren't you gonna invite me in?"

Xavier didn't breathe; he just slid back from the door. Cora ended up inviting herself in. She turned to the boy so that they were standing face-to-face. She was exactly his height. "Look, uh, thank you for what you did in the woods. If it weren't for you, I may be dead right now."

Xavier mumbled something that sounded like, "You're welcome." His eyes stayed glued to the hardwood floor.

She pressed on. "I'm serious. They would have held me, and regardless of whether Derek gave them the claws, they would have killed me at some point, and then gone after him. "

_I know. God, I'm hopeless as fuck. _Xavier blinked rapidly; trying to process what was going on. For the first time in his life, his brain wasn't moving too fast; it wasn't moving at all. He raised his gaze, so now he was looking at Cora's shoes as opposed to the floor. It was a start.

Apparently, the she-wolf didn't have the patience for that. "Xavier, you. You're making me really want to punch you in the face."

_That _got his attention. He jerked his head up in alarm, only for her to grab him as he did so and kiss him, hard.

He panicked, but only for an instant. Gripping the girl by her waste, he kissed her back, though he didn't exactly know what to do. He considered telling her this, when she broke contact. "I, uh, I don't really know how to do this. Lack of experience and all." She clasped her hands and stared at the wall behind him, looking embarrassed.

Xavier suddenly felt a surge of passion and, well, _lust _enveloping him, flooding every inch of his body. He shook his head. "I don't care." _Cora Hale, I don't care one bit._

…

Isaac grumbled good-naturedly as Lydia drove them back to Stiles' house, where they planned to chill with him and Malia. "I do the cooking, and she thanks him!"

Lydia applied her lip-gloss generously and smacked her lips in appreciation. It was amazing how she could do that and drive down a winding road at night. "Aw, honey. Don't be upset. At least you can cook."

Isaac reclined in the Mercedes' leather seat, crossing his arms across his chest. "As long as they're having a good time."

…

Scott and Kira lay on the couch, facing each other. Scott gently touched his girlfriend's cheek. "Kira, I haven't been the best boyfriend lately. I've been distracted."

Kira smiled at him lovingly. "I don't care. I know you have things going on. I know you still care about me."

Scott shook his head. "That's no excuse. I loved Allison. But she's gone. And you are my girlfriend. Allison is in the past, and you aren't. I am yours. I love you, Kira."

Kira felt happiness blossom in her. "Scott, you are my werewolf forever." She hugged him tight. "And if you're still feeling sorry, come here and make up for it."

Scott smiled wide. "Don't have to ask me twice."

…

Cora kicked her shoes off, pushing Xavier onto the bed. He lay on his back, his shirt already thrown on the floor. There were ugly scars, some of the longer ones crisscrossing on his abdominals. There was a savage looking burn on his side, just below the armpit. Cora guessed that it had scarred less that a year ago. She didn't ask; she already knew where he got all of them.

Cora pushed herself on top on Xavier, straddling him. He looked up at her. "You know what you're doing at all?"

"Nope," she answered bluntly. They both laughed. With more aggression than was probably normal, she pushed down on his shoulders, pinning him to the bed. She then lightly rested her hands on his chest.

Xavier winced, as he instantly remembered Eve doing the exact same thing before she viciously broke his ribcage. Cora saw his expression, and she immediately figured out what he was thinking. She began to kiss his chest, rubbing it with her hands. Her lips rested over every one of his largest scars. She moved with the utmost care, with a gentleness that was not supposed to exist, not with a fiery and temperamental Hale.

She smelled good, like she had just taken a shower before coming to the house. Like flowers. Xavier propped himself up on his elbows, ignoring the pain in his chest. "Is that why you came here? Just to see me?"

Cora leaned over him, pushing his shoulders down again. Gentle, but firm. "No. I didn't know why I came. I now know why I am here."

Xavier tried to make himself more comfortable; he was still hurting despite Cora's immense care. He closed his eyes, shuffling his back against the covers. He felt Cora's hands slide up his arms, to his wrists.

He wasn't sure exactly when it began to happen, but he found the pain in his chest dissipating, like magic. It was, _evaporating _from inside his body.

He opened his eyes, and saw Cora's face, her brows furrowed in concentration. She was gritting her teeth, her eyes squeezed shut. His eyes trailed to where both of her hands were gripping his. There was black substance running up her veins. She was taking his pain away, he realized.

"Hey stop," he mumbled. She made no indication that she heard him. "Cora. Cora!"

She opened her eyes, and he was shocked to see that they were full of tears. How long had she been doing that? It was really hurting her, badly. "Cora! Stop. Let go of me!" He hissed furiously.

The stubborn she-wolf gripped his wrists even tighter. He gathered his strength and tried to push her off, but she still had him pinned. The effort sent an enormous shock of pain up his body, which vanished within moments. At the same time, Cora gasped and a particularly large concentration went up her veins. His struggling was hurting both of them; her much more than him.

Xavier immediately let his arms go slack. Cora's eyes had reclosed, but tears were now seeping out from under her eyelids, dropping onto his face and chest. "Cora," he tried again, his voice a whisper. "Stop. Please, just stop."

She violently shook her head, her hair whipping across her face. "Please," Xavier begged. He was now starting to cry too; he couldn't bear to look at her suffer like this. It was like that horrible night all over again.

…

Once she saw that he was crying, Cora released his arms, shocked and still in pain. In a flash, he grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her tight. He yanked her off his chest and practically threw her next to him on the bed. She struggled against his hold, but he squeezed her body tight. For the second time since she could remember, Cora sobbed.

"I hurt you so badly, and I'll never be able to forgive myself. How can you forgive me for doing this to you, and then leaving you to them?"

Xavier had stopped tearing. He took a gulp of air, running one hand through her long hair comfortingly. "Because it wasn't you that got me hurt."

She raised her head from his shoulder. "Then whose fault is it?"

Xavier declined to answer. There was no right response, not one that would satisfy her. Instead he kissed her one more time before resting his head back. He felt Cora snuggle up to him tighter, her hands resting on his arm. She was still trembling. He gave her beautiful body one last squeeze, and he was smiling as he fell asleep.

…

Kira happily hopped on her boyfriend's bike. They had slept together on the couch that entire night, and when they awoke, a freshly and beautifully cooked lunch had appeared on the table. Isaac again. He did a good job of slipping in and out quietly, but the poor guy had forgotten his jacket on a chair. The TV still had the main menu of _Star Wars _going on repeat.

She was sad that the weekend was almost over, because it had been everything she wanted and more. It may have not gone quite as Scott had planned, but it was perfect.

They were on the same page. They loved each other; and they would brave the alpha pack together. As long as he was there with her, she wasn't afraid.

…

Xavier awoke just before noon, light flooding in from the window of his bedroom. Cora was still right next to him, her face relaxed and peaceful. It was a stark contrast to her usual scowl. He didn't move from his place on the bed, afraid to disturb her, but she was still out.

Gently, sliding his arm away from hers, he rolled away and off the mattress. He quickly walked over to the window, softly pulling the curtains closed so the room was still dark. He yanked on a pair of gym shorts and a light hoodie.

For a minute, he stood above her and watched her sleep. He tried to come to terms with what happened last night. They had kissed, and then made out. He had slept with Cora Hale, the beautiful, fiery younger sister of Derek Hale. It was unreal. And that brought up a new question. What were they?

He leaned over to kiss her sleeping face before halting, just short of her skin. What were they? _What are we? _He didn't know. He didn't kiss her. Instead he grabbed the edge of the thick comforter, pulling it so it covered her shoulders completely. He swept her hair to the side so it didn't get mashed under her head. He regarded the she-wolf sleeping in his bed.

A ray of light still got through the curtains, reflecting off of her smooth olive skin. She was gorgeous. Sighing, Xavier straightened up and walked out of the room.

…

As soon as he shut the door behind him, Cora opened her eyes. She had been awake for the past hour, but she hadn't wanted to move. It wasn't just that she didn't want to wake him, but she just hadn't wanted to leave. She smiled to herself, hugging the comforter to herself with both hands.


	18. Reckless for a Reason

"Good morning. Afternoon. Noon." Chris Argent greeted his partner with a slight smile. He held up a cup of coffee. "Good noon doesn't sound right, though that would be the most accurate statement. Coffee?"

Xavier groaned as he leaned against the counter table. "Is it black?"

"Course."

Another groan. 'I don't know how you drink that stuff." Xavier grabbed an apple from the table and began heaping a plate of the eggs and sausages Argent had cooked. "If its noon, why did you make breakfast?"

Argent sipped his coffee. "Allison once told me about a cool thing called brunch."

Xavier palmed himself in the face.

Argent put down his coffee mug, his face turning serious. "Xavier. Do you want to tell me about your night?"

Xavier faced him, his raised eyebrows asking the question he had in mind. "Your girlfriend's hoodie was lying in the hallway when I got back," Chris supplied.

Xavier tilted his chin up, his lips forming an "oh."

"You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to. I was just surprised."

"No, no." Xavier waved his hand dismissively as he brought his plate to the table, sitting across from the older man. He spoke candidly. "Cora Hale. She's still in the bedroom."

If Chris was in any way surprised, he didn't show it. "You know, when my daughter brought a werewolf home for the first time, I didn't react this way."

Xavier smiled at the thought. "And then she dumped him for another werewolf."

"Right." Chris leaned back in his chair. "Scott, then Isaac. I never figured out which one I liked more. Especially now that Isaac is back with them."

Xavier leaned over the table, his eyes intense. "They're werewolves. We don't need to like them."

Chris retorted, "Do you like the beautiful woman that's right now in your bed?"

Xavier fell silent, and before he could think of something to say next, a thumping sound echoed from behind his bedroom. He hurried back to the room, Argent following at a respectful distance.

Xavier opened the door while Chris waited outside. The room was empty, and the curtains were flung open. Xavier motioned for Chris to enter. "The window. She could have just used the front door," Chris remarked.

Xavier glanced at Chris. "If I was a werewolf, and I woke up in Chris Argent's house, I wouldn't waste time with the door."

Chris shrugged, turning to leave the room. "Say hi to your girlfriend for me next chance you get."

Xavier sighed, staring out the window. Cora was nowhere to be seen, but her clothes were all gone from the floor, minus the sweatshirt Chris had found. "She's not my girlfriend." _I think._

…

Derek had been worried when Cora didn't return to the loft that evening. He hadn't panicked; she wasn't stupid enough to go into the woods after the last time, when she almost got herself, and a hunter killed.

He had to admit, he breathed a small sigh of relief when the door opened the next day and she hurried in, somewhat out of breath. He nodded at her. "Hey."

She jerked her head back at him, then plopped herself onto the bed. Derek looked at her, with mild irritation. "Where were you last night?"

She didn't look at him, eyes fixated on the ceiling. "Out."

Derek crossed his arms. "At night. By yourself."

Cora glared at him. "I'm not stupid. I found stayed somewhere else for the night."

Derek cracked a smile. "Cora, neither am I. And I also know that you don't happen to have the most Facebook friends. In fact, I doubt you have any." Cora bared her teeth at him, making a protesting noise.

Derek ignored her, his lips smiling wider. "So, who did you, uh, _sleepover _with?"

Cora's ears turned bright red. She tried to avoid his gaze.

Derek pretended to think hard. "Hmm, is it Isaac? He once asked me about you, you know. Oh, maybe Stiles! He dates she-wolfs."

"Ok ok, Derek. Shut up!" Cora snapped, her cheeks burning brighter by the second.

Derek was showing no signs of slowing down. "Please tell me you didn't visit Peter."

Cora couldn't stand it any longer. "I was at Argents' okay?"

Derek didn't look surprised. "And this coming from the little girl who once said that she would never date, _let alone sleep_, with someone who liked guns." He clucked his tongue at her. "Interesting."

If she could, Cora would have throttled him. And he called her a little girl. One day, she was going to shave him bald in his sleep. "I don't date him."

"No, instead you skipped right to the sleeping phase. You're moving up, little sis."

Cora clenched her fists. "Shut up, Derek. Please?" He made a kiss face at her. "I don't know what we are," she finally confessed. "We just spent a night together in bed."

Derek looked at her a long moment, then nodded. "I'm not here to gossip with you. If you're tired, get some sleep. I can talk to you about it more later if you want. But I hear Lydia Martin is the person to ask." He gave her one more sassy grin before heading upstairs.

"I'm fine," Cora mumbled back. _I'm just tired of you._

…

Adam lay on his bed, Evelyn next to him. "Its time to move. We need to get those claws, and we need to switch locations. Tell Roan to stay here and watch the cabin for a few days after we leave."

Evelyn kissed her mate before answering. "Of course. Do you have a location in mind?"

Adam shrugged. "The hotel works. It doesn't matter where. I just don't want to be here when the hunters show."

"You really think they have the gall?"

Adam laughed. "Is that even a question?"

…

The whole class stared as Xavier swept into the room. Though it was a dramatic entrance-it was 2nd hour and he was late-it wasn't intended to be. He had merely overslept. A perfectly understandable occurrence; he had stayed up too long the night before worrying about things. Alpha werewolves, Chris Argent, Cora Hale, Alpha werewolves, and Cora Hale.

Scott and his friends were surprised to see him, but it wasn't like they were shocked. Chris had kept tabs with them upon his condition while hospitalized, though he had been too weak to care what they were doing regardless.

He saw Scott give him a friendly nod, and he flicked his eyebrows back in response. He droned out Mrs. Martin's friendly chide about tardiness as he sat back in his seat and daydreamed.

_His father swung the sword in a downward arc. 16-year old Xavier blocked the blow with his own blade. From behind him, Matt attacked and battered his father's weapon out of his hand._

_Ryan Cho didn't hesitate. He kicked Xavier's sword out of his son's grasp and got Matt to drop his with a tight wristlock. Matt landed a solid blow and managed to twist away before his father broke the joint._

_Xavier circled his dad, one arm relaxed and extended, the other one rigid, held across his chest in a defensive position. This was the day that they would beat him._

_Ryan moved fast, raining blows down on Matt before either brother could attack. Matt's limbs were a blur as he blocked strike after strike. As Xavier closed in, Ryan caught Matt with a kick to the torso. He followed it up with another kick to the side of Matt's head. As the older son went down, Ryan wheeled and caught Xavier's incoming arm. Executing a hip toss, he flung him near where Matt lay dazed._

_Before his father could press his advantage on his downed brother, Xavier did a kip-up, springing between his dad and Matt. Utilizing short and fast strikes, he kept his father dancing, backing up, hoping that he could buy Matt enough time to recover._

_With a lightning quick move, he slammed his open palm into his dad's left shoulder causing him to stumble. Ryan was even faster. He rolled with the momentum of the strike, breaking his son's arm at the elbow joint with his own elbow. He didn't stop there, wrenching Xavier's arm and twisting it out of his shoulder socket._

_Xavier gasped in pain, but he used his free arm to push himself away from his dad, getting as much distance away from his attacker as possible. His vision blurry with pain, he saw Matt blindside his dad and cuff him from behind. Ryan went down and Matt was on him, hitting him several times in quick succession._

_Before Xavier could make a move, other hunters were by his side, pulling Matt off of their dad. Others helped both Xavier and Ryan to their feet. Xavier's arm screamed at the effort. He didn't let out a sound._

_They had fought in Xavier's favorite spot of the complex, a large botanical garden filled with lush trees and cherry blossoms his dad had imported from Japan. A stream ran throughout the garden and small bridges provided a way across them. Ryan liked the spot too, but not because of the beauty. He said it was a diverse location. The colorful setting was distracting, the footing delightfully uneven. _

_Ryan regarded his sons, a hint of a smirk on his face, blood seeping from a cut on his lower lip. "Well done, Matt. You boys have finally done it." He turned to his younger child. "Xavier, that was excellent instinct. You played for time, for distraction. You would be an excellent partner in any fistfight."_

_Matt didn't laugh. He looked furious. An angry red welt was already forming on his forehead where he was hit. Xavier gripped his broken arm. Counting to three in his head, he shoved the joint back into his shoulder socket, a sick sound signaling the success of his impromptu surgery._

_That seemed to get his father's attention. "It was a good day." He bowed his head. "Get some rest."_

…

_Matt whistled softly in admiration. "He's trying to teach us how to survive, but all I think you're learning is pain tolerance." The older brother sat on the floor next to his younger sibling in the large room they shared. Just like he would the past million times he would get hurt, his little brother refused any kind of pain meds._

_Xavier cringed as he adjusted his arm in a more comfortable spot. It would take months for the joint to heal. "He tore my elbow ligaments apart. Wolves don't do that. I'd rather fight a wolf any day."_

_Matt pointed to his chest, where a long scar ran from his shoulder to near his torso. "You sure about that?" Xavier had gotten that one when he was 15, when he and Matt had dared take a pack on by themselves. The alpha had nearly punctured his artery, instead merely opening a long slash down his body. Matt had then taken it by surprise and killed it with a hand grenade, which he had planted in the dirt about 10 yards from where Xavier had laid. The only thing that had saved him was the alpha's bulk._

_His father had found them, bandaging their wounds, four wolf carcasses lying in a heap of fire. He had congratulated them on their achievement, then promptly left, leaving the two injured hunters to walk the thirty miles back to where they had stashed their transportation, only to discover that Ryan had disabled the vehicle._

_It had taken them three more days to get back to the complex._

_Matt was concerned. Xavier was the perfect complement when dealing with a threat. They were both cunning and could be devious when needed to be. However, Xavier had a brash swagger to him; he had no problem putting himself in a dangerous position to give his teammate a chance to end the opponent. He did it in countless bouts with werewolves, or their father. Every time, against the werewolves, he had gotten hurt, but they had won._

"_Xavier." His brother looked at him attentively. "You have to stop with those tactics."_

"_Tactics?"_

_Matt touched his brother's forearm. "Your suicide moves. You deliberately put yourself at risk just to have a chance to win. Its reckless and its stupid."_

_Xavier tried to shrug, but his shoulder throbbed painfully. "If it works."_

_Matt grabbed his brother by the shoulder. Xavier cried out, and his older brother released him immediately, a look of shock and horror on his face._

_Xavier composed himself before Matt could apologize. "I don't fight fair. Neither do you. If we win, don't question my methods. Just be happy one of us is willing to do what's necessary."_

_Matt tried to look angry. "You're gonna get yourself killed."_

_Xavier grinned at him, his eyes shining. "But my brother gets to live."_

…

Xavier realized he was gripping his shoulder tight. The same shoulder that his father had grievously dislocated over two years ago. He glanced at the clock and realized that he had been zoned out for nearly twenty minutes. The period was almost over. He quickly dropped his hand, letting it rest on his desk. As the period bell rang, he got up and noticed Scott looking at him curiously. Grabbing his backpack he made a hasty exit before the alpha could inquire about whatever he had in mind.


	19. Hunting a Predator

Isaac had just shut his locker door when Xavier strode up casually and leaned on the lockers next to his. "Isaac. You know where Adam stays."

Isaac didn't look at the hunter directly, focusing on spinning his lock dial to secure his stuff. "That's right. Reason for asking?"

Xavier lowered his voice a decibel, though his tone lost none of its confidence and authority. "Not asking. You're going to take me there." After a moment of thought, he added, "Please."

Isaac opened his mouth to protest, but it snapped shut as he saw the intense look on the other boy's face. His shoulders slumped. "Tomorrow? After school?"

Xavier gave him a wry grin. Clapping Isaac on the shoulder, he said, "I'll bring Argent, if that makes you feel better. We'll be just fine."

Isaac stifled a sigh. He wasn't sure how excited he was to reunite with the intimidating hunter who fathered his former girlfriend. No doubt both of them were still hurting from her death.

Lydia Martin suddenly appeared as Xavier was preparing to leave. "Uh, are you boys done gossiping, or are you going to let me get to my locker?"

Xavier gave Isaac a look, eyebrows raised. Isaac stammered, gesturing to Lydia, then to one of the locker doors Xavier was leaning against. "Lahey, Martin. You know, dude."

Xavier shook his head.

"That's right," Lydia said crisply. "Alphabetical order. Step aside, _bro._" She gently moved him to the right, out of the way of her stall.

Xavier's eyebrows rose higher, but Isaac just gave him a shrug. "Tomorrow?"

…

True to his word, Isaac waited for Xavier right outside the school doors the next day. Xavier nodded at him. "For a second, I wondered if you had forgotten."

Isaac shuffled his feet. "How could I forget? But if they're still there…"

Xavier cut him off. "We light up the entire place and take them out. Okay?"

Isaac was speechless.

Xavier half-smiled. "I'm sort of kidding. Come on, we're taking Argent's ride."

Chris was waiting for them in his shiny SUV. Xavier stood to the side, allowing Isaac to climb in first. From the corner of is eye, he saw Scott and Stiles watching them, questions on both of their faces. He didn't acknowledge them, jumping into the vehicle.

"Boys." Chris said by way of greeting. He was dressed from head to toe in tactical clothing. Black jacket, combat boots, with an ammo belt on his waist.

If Isaac had been nervous of his reunion with his former girlfriend's father, his fears dissipated quickly. Soon the two were conversing as if they had been the ones living together, not Chris and Xavier.

Xavier had tuned them out, but he paid attention as Isaac detailed the location. "It's a wooden cabin. Not all that big, but not tiny either. There are two stories, but the second one barely qualifies as a story. More like a balcony."

Chris kept his eyes on the road, but the way his head tilted back and forth subtly told Xavier that he was processing every word and detail. Attention to the scouting report. That's what made him a great hunter.

They pulled into the same lot that Xavier had tailed Evelyn and Isaac to weeks ago. The red Dodge Charger was absent. Chris shut down the car and jumped out. "Lets go."

Xavier and Isaac got out and watched as Argent opened his trunk and pulled out an MP5 submachine gun. The MP5 wasn't the most powerful choice, but its right rate of fire and reliable build made it a logical one. Chris pulled out another gun, a M4A1 and tossed it to Xavier, who caught it one-handed. He loved the M4. Military-grade, pistol forehand grip, tactical scope. Perfect for hunting wolves.

Isaac's eyes were wide. "Isn't that kind of overkill?"

"Not at all," Argent said calmly. "But with you here with us, I'd say it's a fair fight."

Xavier added, "If they're still around."

Isaac swallowed. "Okay then. This way." He turned and jogged onto the path.

After several minutes, the cabin loomed in front of Xavier. Isaac had done a good job of describing it. The structure looked abandoned. The chimney had no smoke rising, every door and window was shut tight and it was dark inside.

He heard Argent murmur, "Main door, stack up." He ran forward, pressing his back to the left of the door on the side facing them, the larger of the two. This had to be the "front" of the house. He could hear no movement inside.

Argent mouthed a count. _Three, two one. _Xavier grasped the door handle, and yanked hard. To his surprise, the door swung open, almost sending him tumbling to the ground. Argent was also surprised, but he reacted quick, sweeping the interior with his weapon. Xavier was right behind him, snapping on the tactical flashlight he had attached to his rifle barrel. The immediate interior was empty.

Isaac stepped in behind them. "They were here not too long ago. I can still smell Eve's perfume."

Xavier bit back a retort. _So can I. _How could he forget? The woman had climbed on top of him before breaking his ribcage, licking his blood off of her face. The memory was seared into his head. But he didn't say anything.

Argent pointed towards the balcony. Isaac silently ascended the stairs while Xavier and Chris efficiently swept the small adjoining rooms. There wasn't much to cover. With the living area, bed and bathroom, balcony, and kitchen, the whole thing took less than a minute.

Chris lowered his gun. "All clear."

Xavier cleared his throat. "Maybe."

Chris frowned. "They're gone, X. Look." He gestured around the room. "Maybe its best to leave before they come back. They probably live light."

Xavier scanned the floor for a moment. He looked at his companions. "They're not coming back."

Chris nodded, as if to probe him to go on. "Look, look at all these things." Xavier pointed around the cabin. "The bed is made. The couch is neat and not in anyway rumpled. There should be something personal here. A crumb of food. Loose hair. The shower is dry. They're gone for good."

Chris nodded slowly, as if he was starting to see what Xavier was getting at. "The cabin isn't stripped bare. You think they were trying to fool us?"

"Maybe. Maybe they didn't care. But if they were, it could have worked if they hadn't done such a good job cleaning."

Isaac broke his silence. "Yeah. Adam and Eve weren't messy, but they weren't neat freaks either. Xavier is right."

"I would hope this indicates that they're gone for good, but that's just wishful thinking. My best guess is that they are in the town. Maybe at the motel. Maybe they found some hole to hide in."

Chris mused, "My sister Kate hid in the sewer."

Xavier nodded at Chris when he heard that. "Right. Anywhere, really."

The three left the cabin, Chris shutting the door behind him. Isaac sniffed the air. "We're not alone. I think I smell him. Roan."

Xavier wasn't shocked. "Probably watching us from afar. What do we do about it?"

Chris didn't answer immediately.

Xavier cocked his rifle. "Let's get him."

Chris put his hand on Xavier's weapon. "No. I don't plan on charging after an alpha and fighting with toe-to-toe. We need a plan."

Both Isaac and Xavier sighed dramatically. "Fine."

…

Roan stood perhaps two hundred yards away from the cabin. He was half hidden by a large oak tree. The alpha had a phone pressed to his ear, and he was speaking into it hurriedly.

"They just left the cabin…no, I don't know if they believe we moved or not…I can't follow them. They know I'm already here."

Roan hung up the phone, slipping it into his jacket pocket. He was tempted to follow the group to their ride, maybe find out where in particular the two hunters were staying. However, he deemed it an unnecessary risk. He wanted no part in tangling with Isaac and those two, especially alone. He was present when Cain met his demise; he remembered his shock and fear when the big alpha just dropped like a stone. A teenager did that. From two hundred yards away.

Roan vowed that he would not fall like Cain had.

…

Chris tossed his rifle on the kitchen table and collapsed into an armchair. "So, we learned that they have abandoned their wood cabin. That's basically learning next to nothing."

Xavier smirked. "Don't be so negative. When do you want to start sweeping the motel?"

Chris rubbed his eyes. He hadn't slept well the last few nights. "I'll talk to the staff tomorrow sometime. A little money can have them help do our work for us."

"Aren't you worried that you might get caught?"

Chris gave Xavier a grim smile. "Do you want to do it instead? Maybe you'll get to see your friend Evelyn again."

Xavier winced at the though. _No thanks. _He shook his head vigorously.

…

"This place is a dump. I liked the cabin more." Evelyn laid down on the bed, her face scrunched up in disappointment.

Adam shrugged. "We have to get used to it, love. It's only a matter of time until the hunters track us here. And it's only a matter of time until we get our hands on those claws."

Adam had known that once the hunters had deduced they had abandoned the cabin that the most logical place to search next was the town motel. That meant they had to move quickly. Of course, he also knew that Argent would not be so brazen to attack the motel, so he and his pack would be safe until they made a move on Derek themselves. It was like a Cold war.

They had figured out the twist a bit quicker than he had anticipated though. He wondered what had given their move away. Dismissing it, he focused instead on scanning out the window. Their room had an excellent view of the parking lot, as well as the parallel street. No one could sneak up on their watch. He expected Argent or his boy to arrive tonight or tomorrow to scout the place out. No doubt they would know where he and his wolves were. It mattered not. They will let him make the first move. And that gave him the advantage.


	20. Friday Night Fireworks

Scott couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned, the sheet wrapped tightly around his body. Frustrated, he kicked them off his body, to the foot of the bed, then to the floor. He then got cold.

Cursing, he rose from the bed and threw on a sweater. He texted Stiles, but he got no answer. He was probably asleep. Just like all of his friends. Maybe a walk would do him some good. As long as he avoided the woods, it would be fine.

It was a Friday night, so the streets had a few more people than one would expect, but it was by no means crowded. Scott slid by a few high school kids in the year above him as they staggered by, drunk and laughing. He hitched his thumbs in his jeans pockets and put his head down, trying to shield his face against the cool breeze. Fall weather wasn't too bad, but nights could get pretty chilly.

He meandered for nearly an hour, but his body felt no more wearily than it had when he got up. With a defeated sigh, he decided to grab a late bite at the Courier, the best diner in town. They stayed open well past midnight and had excellent sandwiches.

The doorway had a bell and it rang cheerfully as Scott pushed the entrance open. The café was mostly empty; a couple small groups of people from Beacon Hills high occupied various booths on each end of the diner. Scott grabbed an empty booth by a window and waited for a waitress to come take his order. Every few minutes, he glanced out the window, as if he expected to see one of Adam's alphas materialize out of the darkness, about to attack him.

He heard the doorbell ring softly, but he didn't turn to see who came in, so he was startled when Xavier Cho slid into the seat opposite of him. He didn't even say hello.

The side of the newcomer's mouth twitched upwards. "Hey."

Scott stammered out a greeting in return, but the waitress arriving to their table before he could inquire anything else, distracted him.

The waitress, a pretty blonde senior who went to his school, asked them what they wanted. Scott ordered a tomato soup and a wrapped sub sandwich. Xavier opted for a cup of coffee, thanking her politely as she finished scribbling on her order notepad. This earned him a coy smile as she walked away.

"So," Scott started, "what are you doing up?"

Xavier leaned back in his seat, looking completely relaxed. "Make you a deal. You tell me, and I won't lie to you about my reason."

Scott shrugged. _Fair enough_. "I couldn't sleep. No one's up right now. So I went out."

"No lie? It's Friday night. Go clubbing."

Scott shook his head. "I'm only seventeen, man. I don't do fakes."

Xavier nodded as if he got it. Scott doubted he did. He was a professional killer. He probably had dozens of fakes, none of them for clubbing. "Alright. I just wanted to take a walk. I haven't been sleeping very much lately. I'm running on sweet coffee and energy drinks. I'm not the healthiest hunter."

Scott had to chuckle at that. "What have you been doing?"

"Nothing too important. I visited the place where Adam stayed at with Isaac. Don't ask about it-there was no one there. Small cabin in the woods."

Scott's ears perked up. "They're gone? Where?"

Xavier shook his head. "I don't know, not for sure, anyways. But they haven't left Beacon Hills. I can assure you of that. Be careful, Scott. You. Stiles. Both of your girlfriends. Be careful."

Their food arrived, and Xavier sipped at his coffee while Scott inhaled his sandwich. The two boys ate slowly, trying to stall while they both struggled to find something to talk about.

Xavier spoke first. "Scott, you have a girlfriend. Let me ask you something. How did you know?"

"Hmm?" Scott looked up at him, his mouth full of food.

Xavier smacked his lips. "God, I don't know how Chris likes this stuff so much." He grabbed several sugar packets, his eyes never leaving Scott's as he ripped them open and poured the contents in his drink, turning the dark coffee into a caramel-colored brown. "How did you know, when Kira became your girlfriend?"

Scott shrugged awkwardly. "I just…uh, knew."

Xavier slurped his coffee loudly. "I hope you're being cryptic. I've been reading a lot of Emily Dickinson in my free time."

As Scott stared at him, not yet comprehending, Xavier opened his palm to reveal a crumpled up napkin. "And speaking of cryptic, she wants your digits." He tossed the napkin towards Scott, jerking his head to the blonde waitress, who was texting on her phone at the counter.

Scott was speechless for a second. "Me? She was looking and smiling at you the whole time."

"That, my friend is called courtesy. I said thank you. You did not. While I wasn't ordering, she was looking at you." Xavier reached over and flicked the napkin closer to Scott.

Scott brushed it aside. "You really notice everything, don't you?"

"Evidently not, because I'm asking for your help. So how did you know Kira was your girlfriend?"

Scott snickered. "I don't know, dude. Why do you ask, specifically?"

His companion leaned over the table. "Cora Hale."

Scott's eyes grew wide. "No way."

"Yes way," Xavier hissed. "This is bothering the mess out of me. I know werewolves better than most people. I don't know relations at all."

Scott had to laugh. The though of an alpha werewolf discussing romantic relationships with a were-hunter was just too much. Judging from Xavier's face, the other teenager was not so amused.

Scott straightened his face out. "Sorry. Yeah, so what did you guys do?"

Xavier looked at him hard. "Uh, private?"

Nodding quickly, Scott said, "Yeah, thought so. First time? Was she enjoying it?"

Looking thoroughly flustered, Xavier protested. "Whoa, wait a minute, I never said…"

Scott interrupted him. "No, maybe you two didn't. But you did make out, to the very least."

Xavier took a deep breath. "Yeah. We did."

Scott tilted his head to the side, as if to say, _duh_. Xavier groaned inwardly. Scott nodded towards him. "Look, I'll make this easy. If she comes back, you're all good."

Xavier seemed skeptical. "That simple."

Scott nodded. "Yeah. But only because it's Cora we're talking about. She's more direct than most girls. She'll make it easy on you. And frankly, sometimes I think girls should be like that more often. But that's just me."

Xavier finally grinned. He nodded, understanding. "Makes sense. You're right. Easy."

Scott reached over and clapped the Asian boy on the shoulder. "Feel free to talk to me about this if you ever want to."

Xavier nodded, looking relieved. "Will do." His eyes then glanced up as the diner bell rang again, and the color seemed to leave his face. The veins in his arm popped out.

"What have we here?" Adam smirked as he stood by their booth. Alarmed, Scott looked up from his food. The younger werewolf tried to stand, but Adam quickly put a strong hand on his shoulder, pushing him back down into the seat. Xavier didn't move a muscle, his eyes locked onto Adam.

Adam smiled at the two teenagers, a terrifying, savage look on his face. He slowly pushed Scott inward, towards the window, sliding into the booth himself. The attractive blonde waitress stopped by and asked him if he wanted to order. Adam requested a coffee, glancing disdainfully at the sweet concoction Xavier had created. "Is that what you kids drink these days?"

Xavier said nothing in response. Scott spoke first. "What do you want?"

Adam grinned wickedly. "So glad you asked. You know what I want, Scott."

Scot shook his head. "Don't have it. And I don't know where it is."

Adam leered at him. "Does Lydia? Does _Kira_? Because maybe I'm talking to the wrong supernatural."

A low growl escaped Scott's throat upon hearing the threat. His claws began to extend, slowly. Adam's eyebrows went up, and he smiled mockingly.

Adam leaned against Scott, pushing the younger alpha up against the window. "Or maybe, talking isn't what's needed to get my message into your _thick, true alpha werewolf skull._"

"If you threaten him one more time, I'll put one in your lap."

Adam slowly turned his head towards Xavier, who seemingly hadn't moved since he sat down. A soft click from under the table said otherwise. A gun safety.

Adam spoke softly, putting an edge of menace in his tone. "Careful, boy. A shot here would draw you a lot of attention."

Xavier almost laughed. "I'm a professional, sir. No one will hear." He scrunched up his face, as if he was thinking hard. "Well, they will when you scream."

Adam almost, _almost _reached over to try and tear the boy's head from his body. Visibly trying to control his rising temper, he let go of Scott's shoulder. Rising from his seat, he looked at both teenagers balefully. "I will get those claws. And you," he added, throwing Xavier an ugly look, "you will meet an end so painful, what Evelyn did to you a month ago will seem like a back massage." Plastering a fake smile to his face, the older werewolf left, slamming the diner door behind him.

Xavier continued staring at the door long after is shut. "He wasn't joking."

Scott was at a loss for words. "I, uh, I think you'll be fine."

Xavier shook his head. "I need backup. I wish my brother were here."

Scott questioned, "Your brother?"

A nod.

"Was he a hunter?"

Another nod.

"Tell me about him. How many of, uh, my kind have you killed? Together?"

Xavier looked at him. "You really want to know? Four alphas together. We don't keep track of any other stat."

Scott's mouth hung open. _Four alphas. _

Xavier nodded, as if he knew what Scott was thinking. In fact he did. It wasn't very difficult. "Tell me, what was Argent's number? Not Chris, he's killed plenty. I meant Allison."

For the first time in a long time, the mention of Allison did not pain Scott. "Actually, none. She was a hunter for only a year maybe. She died last winter, when Stiles was possessed by a nogitsune. She was killed by an Oni." Scott knew he should have explained in more depth the story of last winter, but judging from Xavier's nod and silence, the young hunter was putting the pieces together himself.

"And that's why Isaac was such a douche to him. He held him responsible. And Adam is after claws…Talia Hale's claws?"

Scott confirmed this with the look of shock plastered on his face. "How did you figure that out?"

Xavier shrugged. "Bits of legend and stories here, context clues there. I do my homework. And logic always comes through." He tapped his brain, then smiled jokingly.

The blonde waitress stopped by one last time to collect Xavier's empty mug and Scott's soup bowl. Scott noticed this time around that she did indeed smile at him, only breaking her gaze when Xavier thanked her.

Xavier paid for the both of them, slapping a few bills on the table as tip. "Now, I will walk you back to your place. I'm not letting you walk back alone after bumping into that monster. And if you don't mind, I would also like to crash on your couch for the same reason."

Scott nodded his consent. "Yeah, for sure. Another thing. Thanks for sticking up for me there. He…he had me pretty scared."

Xavier held the diner door open for Scott, his eyes sweeping the parking lot for Adam or any of his alphas. "Being scared keeps you alive. I promise you, I'm here for you, man. But you need to be there for me too. Christ, I can't believe I paid for his coffee. Cheapskate bastard."


	21. The Plan

Chris awoke to a short text message from Xavier. _With Scott. Don't worry._

He sighed, and then grinned. It was just like Xavier to text him in the middle of the night, just so he wouldn't worry. The kid was raised well, or at least responsibly. Ryan Cho did a great job.

Chris shook his head. Maybe not a great job; no kid should have ever been beaten as Xavier was while growing up. But it wasn't his place to say, though he wished it were. Try as he may to not think about it, he felt as if Xavier was in a way, _his _son. His responsibility. Now that the boy was living under his roof and dealing with this town's problems, Chris wanted to do everything in his power to protect the guy.

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He missed Allison. Maybe, just maybe, Xavier was a bit like medicine. He was helping him cope.

Chris stood up, wiping his mind of any thoughts about Xavier. They had an alpha pack to deal with, and he had a motel to check out. It was time to go to work.

…

Xavier awoke late Sunday morning to the sight of Melissa McCall whispering to her son, both of them sitting on his bed. He sat up from his spot on the floor, wiping away the sleep from his eyes; one had raised to shade his face from the bright light already peeking in from the curtains.

Melissa's eyes passed over him as he rose. "Oh, sorry! Hi, I'm Melissa. Scott's mom. Yeah, the cretin has a mom." She laughed awkwardly. From behind her, Scott looked like he was going to drop dead in embarrassment.

From the way she had been whispering, it was clear she had tried not to wake him. That gratified him. Xavier quickly pulled a smile of his own on his face. "Mrs. McCall. We've actually met before. I, uh, I never really got to thank you. You kind of saved my life a few weeks ago. I really owe you big."

She nodded. "Well, Xavier, if I recall correctly, you actually did. Thank me. You did once while I attached you to oxygen the night you got in, you did it every time someone brought you food, and you thanked me one last time as you limped out of the hospital, when you were released." She eyed him. "Yeah, uh, we kind of kept track after the tenth time. It was a hospital record."

Scott face-palmed. Xavier looked embarrassed. "Well. Uh, okay then. Right. In that case, thanks. For uh, telling me that. Wait, no…"

Scott interrupted him, sparing the poor guy from answering. "Sooo, what's for lunch, mom?"

His mom shot him an icy glare. Clearly she was enjoying this conversation. "Mexican." Scott groaned.

Melissa stood up. "You're welcome to eat with us, Xavier. I've made plenty of food." Without waiting for an answer, she left the room. Scott heard her footsteps echoing down the stairs.

Scott stood up, stifling a yawn and stretching his arms. "That means you have no choice, dude. She won't take no for an answer."

Xavier stood too. "Guess I'm tied to the chair. Fine by me." The two boys stumbled down the stairs, yawning as they went.

Melissa already had the table set. She had made stir-fry, lots of it. As Xavier surveyed the table, he glanced at Melissa. "This isn't Mexican."

Melissa looked pointedly at her son, who was flushing. "No, it isn't."

…

Scott called Kira the moment he got away from the table. His mother had not anticipated how hungry the three of them were going to be, and she was cooking another batch. She and Xavier had gotten into an in-depth conversation about their various cooking styles and kept him stranded to the table, away from his phone. Now he was downstairs with her, showing her how he made his version of stir-fry.

_Unbelievable, _Scott thought. A hunter, a student, a detective, and now a chef. Life was full of surprises. One would have thought that becoming a werewolf taught you not to underestimate this planet at all. Clearly he had missed the memo.

"He cooks? Sounds dreamy." Kira teased. Scott was again reminded by the fact he was hopeless with a spatula. First Isaac, now Xavier.

"Yeah, maybe you should date him instead," he joked. He heard Kira laugh, and his heart warmed considerably.

"You know you're mine, and I'm only for you, baby" she crooned in his ear. "Plus, I already told you I can cook too." _Best girl ever._

Scott then quickly informed her of last night's events, including the visit from Adam at the diner. When he finished, she sounded scared over the phone. "Scott, make sure you don't go out alone. Stick with him. Xavier."

Scott tried to calm his girlfriend. "I know, I know," he soothed. "I'll be careful. I just don't want to leave you out of the loop."

"Thank you. I love you."

"I love you too," he said before he hung up. His mother was calling him.

…

An even larger batch of food greeted Scott as he emerged from the stairwell. Melissa was nearly giddy when she saw him. It was sickening, in a humorous sort of way. "Wait till' you taste this. It's so good. We're gonna eat stir-fry like this from now on."

"Eggs." Xavier put in. "Its essential."

Melissa gave him a high five, practically hyper on her own dorkiness. "Honey, your friend is a genius. Grade-A. Like eggs." She laughed, though both Scott and Xavier looked at each other, smiling weakly. Bad mom jokes and all.

…

Argent frowned. The desk clerk swore to have never seen anyone matching the descriptions of Adam Ward of anyone from his pack. The young man had been noticeably nervous, but Chris could not verify whether that was caused by potential intimidation by the alphas, or his own interrogation. He probably could have handled it better.

With a defeated sigh, he returned to his vehicle, his eyes scanning all the motel doors that were in his view. All of them were shut tight, and their corresponding windows all had their drapes yanked shut. He couldn't see inside a single room even if he got right up close.

Now, if Chris had to wager, he would expect Adam to be here. He was pretty much untouchable; Chris knew that he and Xavier did not have the ability, either in manpower, nor authority, to sweep the entire complex. Doing so would be dangerous and stupid. More of the latter than the former.

Looking at the second balcony he thought he saw the drape flutter, as if someone inside had moved them. He took note of the room, 281. Perhaps someone was watching him, but he then immediately dismissed the theory. It could have been anything; and knowing for sure didn't really benefit him anyway. Finally accepting the situation, he put his SUV into reverse and peeled out of the parking lot. He had to order some things he needed, as well as some things that Xavier had requested.

…

"Well?"

Roan tore himself away from the window. "I think he left. I don't think he knows we're here."

"I told you, Roan." Evelyn's tone had a hint of exasperation. "It doesn't matter whether or not he knows anything. Only a crackpot would try and take us out here. He'll have the police on his ass. And frankly, we would make sure they find him. His body. In two."

Roan nodded quickly. Evelyn suspected that he was still a little jumpy after Cain's death. She was definitely still smarting over it too. She was astonished that such a young hunter had made that shot, and then managed to survive the injuries she inflicted on him. She was astonished that Argent managed to track him in the woods at night, and then helped save the boy in time.

In fact, Eve loathed the two hunters for pulling that off. That had vastly displeased Adam, who had been angry with her, albeit for only so long. No one could be angry with Eve for long if she didn't want him or her to be. It was just the way it worked. It was just the way she was.

The next time she had the chance, she was going to run the boy through, and then she was going to rip out his throat, with her teeth.

…

"So here's the thing," Scott said. He eyed his two companions, Stiles and Xavier. Both of them were staring at him intently. "I have an idea."

Stiles groaned. "You kept me up to midnight and dragged me out here just to tell me about a plan?"

Xavier said nothing, but Scott saw him smirk, jerking his head. The attractive waitress was back. Scott sighed. Just because he liked the sub sandwiches didn't mean he wanted to keep giving this girl mixed signals. "Seriously man, I'm just going to tell her I'm taken."

Stiles smacked Scott on the arm. "Don't be stupid. That's Olivia Reyner. She knows you're taken. Doesn't mean you're not hot."

Xavier gave Stiles a weird look. Scott cackled. "Its an obsession with him." Stiles opened his mouth to protest, but Scott beat him to it. "Look, we should set a trap. Tell Adam we found the claws, and we're willing to trade them if he brings Allison back."

Xavier mused over this. "You threw that last wrinkle in to give us a motive. Answers the question for our logic."

Scott nodded. "Exactly."

Stiles interrupted. "But you said Derek told you that the claws can't bring back the dead. Adam would know that too." He shook his head for emphasis of his concern.

"I know, but he doesn't know that we do." Scott spoke faster, his voice rising in excitement. "I'm not a fan of the plan either, but he's not leaving. And giving him the goods isn't an option, now that we know they make him more powerful. He needs to go, or die."

Stiles leaned close. "Dude, keep your voice down."

Scott shrank his tone. "Sorry."

Xavier had a question. "Where do we do this?"

Scott looked him in the eye. "The school. Territory we know well. And it's we. Not you."

Xavier almost stood up. "Bullshit. You're not doing this without me."

Stiles grabbed the other boy's wrist. "Adam wants you dead. And his mate wants to disembowel you. Now I'd like to study your anatomy as much as anyone else-I'm sure you're on steroids-but I'd prefer to do it at another day."

Xavier looked at him in confusion and disbelief. "Roids? Keep your scrawny ass- comments to your scrawny-ass body. I'm no bigger than you."

Stiles threw up his hands, palms out. "Okay, okay. Just saying. You're crazy enough to throw yourself down cliffs and date a Hale."

Xavier bit back a retort. "She's not my girlfriend. And you date one too."

Stiles smiled at him cheerfully, ignoring the comeback, even though it was absolutely correct. "But you want her to be."

Xavier fell silent for a moment. He slowly nodded his head. "Stilinski, you really know me, don't you?" He lightly punched him on the arm. Stiles grabbed his arm and rubbed it anyway. He tried to make it discreet.

Xavier returned his gaze to Scott. "I'm not sitting this one out."

Scott knew he couldn't stop him if he wanted to. "Please man. I'm trying to protect you. I want you to be safe."

Xavier turned away, his face full of frustration. "It's because of what happened in the woods. You feel sorry for me."

Scott gave no reply, his face downcast.

"You think I need pity? I need Adam and his pack dead!"

Stiles broke in. "Voluuumeeee."

Xavier ignored him. "I will never forget what that woman did to me. She almost killed me. Every time I breathe, I see her face. Every time I exhale, I feel her hands, crushing my ribs."

Scott stuck his face right up to Xavier's. "Then let me take her out for you."

Xavier looked at him, his face still hard. "I make no promises."

Their food arrived, and Xavier once again paid, earning a multitude of fruitless protests from both Scott and Stiles. He was angry, but he quickly calmed himself down, and settled into a more friendly conversation about none other than girlfriends. For all his cluelessness, Stilinski was quite an expert on dealing with volatile ones. Then again, Malia fit that bill perfectly.

While Stiles lectured the Chinese hunter about the benefits of being the little spoon, Scott whipped out his iPhone and quickly sent Chris Argent a text. The older man replied immediately. Done deal.


	22. The Battle of Beacon Hills

Sheriff Stilinski cornered his son right before he vanished out the door. "Stiles, where are you going?" His son was caught off-guard, if anything, evidenced by his jaw hanging open.

Stiles wiped away the drool on his face. "Uhh, fishing."

The Sheriff tried not to laugh or explode. "That's the stupidest lie you've come up with, since ever. You're not going camping again, are you?"

Stiles gave a nervous wave. "Oh, nooo. No. No, certainly not. You can count on me, dad." He flashed him a thumbs up.

Mr. Stilinski decided not to press anymore. He had a long night of work ahead of him. "If I find out you went camping, I'm going to handcuff you to your bed, away from Malia. Understood?"

"Nope. I mean, yes. Yes sir. Roger." Stiles scurried out the door before he could bungle anything else. His father shook his head. _That boy. Sometimes I think he's adopted._

…

Chris tried to leave through the back door, but Xavier had anticipated the ploy. The younger hunter intercepted him in the kitchen. "Today's the day?"

Chris gestured helplessly, his arms full of duffels. "What day?"

"Don't play dumb. I know you're about to join Scott on his little ambush. C'mon, I'll help you take these to the car."

"No. Xavier…just take this day off, ok?" Chris looked at him; his eyes pleading but also extending what looked like an order. "Seriously. It's for your own good."

Xavier scoffed. "You got to be kidding me. Not you too. Let me tell you; you're not my dad." Chris winced slightly, and Xavier felt a small stab of guilt. That was a really cruel thing to say to a man that had done so much for him, despite barely knowing him before all that. Xavier swallowed, before continuing. "I just want to help end this."

Chris didn't say anything for a moment. Finally, his shoulders dropped. "Fine. Take this bag." He gestured to the smaller of the two he held, dropping it to the ground.

Xavier grinned and moved forward to grab it. As he bent to pick it up, a syringe materialized in Chris' fist and he pushed it into Xavier' neck. Xavier's arm froze, and his muscles went lax. He dropped like a stone. Chris caught him as he went down, saving him from suffering another potential concussion. He dragged him to the nearest couch and laid him down.

"I'm sorry, my son. I can't let you come this time." Xavier could only look up at him, in disbelief. "I was going to try and use this on one of the alphas. I'm glad it can be used to save your life instead. I'll be back before you can move though; it's a big dose, a lot for just a human. Even one like you."

Giving him a reassuring smile, Chris gathered up his bags and hauled them out the door. A minute later, Xavier heard the SUV's engine rev up. He tried to get up, but only succeeded in screaming in rage.

He almost cried tears of anger and frustration. His friends, his mentor, and his girlfriend were all out there, facing down one of the most powerful alphas of all time without him. If any of them gets hurt, the guilt he would feel would rival the pain of any crushed ribcage.

…

They met at the school courtyard, first Scott and Stiles, then Derek, Isaac, and Cora. Chris showed up last, with Kira right behind him.

"Where's Malia?" Scott asked his best friend.

Stiles smiled. "I made her sit it out. Can't believe she listened to me. I threatened to leave her."

'What is the runt doing here?" Cora asked huffily. Derek grinned, as if he was trying not to laugh.

Stiles glared. "Shut it, Miguel." Derek snarled at him.

A loud crash interrupted their stare-down, as Chris Argent fumbled with his equipment. Scott went to help the hunter set up the gadgets he brought. Chris smiled at him shakily. "I had to drug Xavier, or else he would have come."

Scott looked grateful. "You had to go that far, huh?"

"He's a stubborn boy. A great boy, but stubborn. I wish I didn't have to." He gestured towards his equipment. "If we're trying to fake them out, I wish I had him around though. I couldn't bring my rifle or else it would give us away."

"Are we all ready to go?" Derek barked. He held up a pouch. "I have the claws right here." He pulled Scott close. "I'm not giving them up. So we better take them out tonight." Scott nodded.

"Derek, do you want to do the honors?" Derek's eyes flashed red, then blue. He took a deep breath and unleashed a powerful howl.

They waited for a minute. Then two. Cora turned to her older brother. "Maybe they're asleep?" she offered.

Derek's reply was cut short, as a lower, more savage growl echoed through the air, longer, and seemingly coming from all directions. Just like Adam's voice when they had their first encounter with the powerful alpha.

…

Malia slipped inside the Argent household. The door was unlocked, just as Stiles had said it would be. She ventured slowly through the fancy house, and finally found Xavier, immobilized, laying flat on one of the leather couches in the TV room.

He didn't look happy to see her. "Are we both being excluded from the action?"

She shrugged. "I appears so. I hate it. I'm so pissed."

Xavier tried to nod his head, but all he could do was voice his agreement. "Don't be mad at him. Stiles. He loves you. That's why he's not letting you go."

Malia sat on the floor next to him, her back against the couch. Her face was pouty. "If he loved me, he would let me try and help him."

"He loves you."

Malia snorted. "Right now, I hate him. And how would you know?"

Xavier exhaled deeply. "Because I saw you the first day you went back to school after the attack. You were limping slightly from your left leg, because it wasn't yet quite fully healed. You walked through the hallway with your head down. You weren't smiling. You were afraid."

Malia bristled at the memory. "Your point?"

Xavier kept his gaze straight up, at the ceiling. "Stiles is my point. As you stood by your locker after second period, he walked right up to you. He kissed you, and then ripped your books right out of your arms, and carried them himself. You tried to make him give them back, but he turned and marched to your next classroom. You had no choice but to follow him. You were embarrassed."

Malia scrunched her face up. "I like to do things myself."

"I don't blame you. I'm the same way. But that is precisely why he loves you. He knows you like to do things on your own and he didn't care because he wanted to help. Not because he felt sorry for you. Because it was right." Xavier paused, licking his dry lips. "I remember watching the two of you, and seeing what he did made me happy. It made me feel good, hopeful. I hope that one day, I can be like him, for the girl I love."

Malia had to smile upon hearing that, her anger dissipating. "You already are. You saved Cora's life. And almost got yourself killed. That's as special as it gets. And unless she's dead inside, she knows it."

Xavier's eyes flickered over to her. "You think so?"

"No doubt." Malia reached over and rubbed his shoulder comfortingly. "My cousin got a good one. And you know how weird that sounds for me to call her that?"

Xavier laughed. "Yeah, I bet."

Malia fell silent. "Did it hurt? When she broke you? Evelyn, I mean."

Xavier thought for a second. "Yeah, a little bit. It felt like something sucked the air out of my lungs. She actually saved my life by doing that. I was choking on my own blood; she kind of cleared my airway. Maybe I should write her a note." He chuckled. "Once the shock started wearing off a bit for my nervous system, it started hurting more. A lot more. My father used to beat my brother and I when we trained. I've suffered broken bones, and been nearly killed by werewolves dozens of times. Nothing hurt quite like those twenty minutes after she broke my ribs."

He took a deep breath and then continued. "Those days in the hospital were the darkest of my life. I was immobilized to the bed. My guns were gone, in the woods, or left in the house. I was hooked to an oxygen tank, so no one could even hear me scream if I did. I thought the alphas were gonna walk into my room any second, ready to finish me off as I lay there, too hurt and weak to protect myself. I even considered doing something to myself just to get a nurse to come to the room and stay with me, even for just a few minutes. I remember praying over and over again for Chris to walk in and stay there with me.

"They always ask if one prefers freedom or safety. For me, it's not even a question. I want safety. I'm not like you guys, confident and brave by nature."

He fell silent, as if he was embarrassed for admitting all of his insecurities and fears in a matter of minutes to a girl who he had just become friends with, one who wasn't even completely comfortable with society just yet.

Malia was quiet, absorbing all he said. "You're a good guy, X. Cora is a lucky girl."

Xavier grinned. "My dad calls me that. And Stiles is a lucky guy. You're lucky to have him as well. Take care of each other."

As he finished speaking, a loud howl was heard in the distance. The howl of an alpha werewolf.

Malia took Xavier's hand in hers and squeezed, a single tear rolling down her face. "They'll be fine. They'll be just fine."


	23. The Battle of Beacon Hills pt 2

Adam stood in the parking lot, flanked by Evelyn and Roan. Derek had half-expected Adam to show up alone. If anything, he would have had his pack flank the school to try and sneak up on them. But showing up together, in plain view, that was a show of absolute confidence.

_And arrogance_, he reminded himself. Adam thought he was invincible. Eve likely believed the same.

Derek wasn't worried. He had numbers on his side; he knew the area better, and he had two alphas of his own, Scott and Isaac. Chris Argent is one of the finest hunters in his family line's history. Kira was as good with a blade as anyone. His group was Just as formidable.

As Adam and his group drew near, Derek called out to him. "I have them, here." He held up the pouch, clutched tightly in his fist. "You bring back Allison, and you get them once you're done."

Adam shook his head, smiling. "You know I can't do that Derek."

"What? Is there a trust issue, Adam?" Derek put a mocking tone in his answer, trying to rile the other alpha up.

He got no such effect. "Apparently not. You and I both know that Talia's claws do not possess the power to do that. Nothing can reincarnate the dead. So you and your precious Scott have tried to deceive my pack and I. In fact, I don't even know if that pouch contains the claws at all. I suppose the only way to find out is to take it from your dead body, and them force your little children to tell me the whereabouts of your mother's claws, should you be lying about them as well." With that, Evelyn surged forward, a blur of fangs and claws.

Cora stepped forth to meet her, her face a mask of fury. No doubt she wanted a crack at the woman who had nearly killed Xavier. As Evelyn drew near, Cora tackled the she-wolf. Both of them fell to the earth, rolling and shrieking.

Cora quickly gained the upper and, and she was on top of Evelyn, raking her with her claws with a ferocity Derek had never seen before. Before he could make a move, Roan leapt behind her, yanking Cora off of his packmate. He threw her across the quad, but Cora's dexterity allowed her to land on her feet with grace. Evelyn was up instantly and again went after the younger Hale.

Derek moved on Roan, but Isaac got there first. The teenager blindsided the muscular alpha and clotheslined him into the school building. The outer layer of brick crumbled with the impact and both Isaac and Roan reeled, dazed from the force of the shot.

Derek heard a cluck of a tongue from behind him. He spun around. "You get to deal with me." Adam said, his tone derisive. Not even turning, he slammed his open palm into the chest of an incoming Scott, sending the boy sailing backwards.

Derek snarled, and attacked. The two mega-alphas fought evenly, making the separate battles of their packs almost look like they were occurring in slow motion.

Derek used every trick in the book, leaping and striking at unexpected angles, but he wasn't getting through Adam's defense. He was holding his own, but he started to doubt whether he could single-handedly defeat the older alpha.

Scott leaped onto Adam's back, clawing at his shoulders and trying to secure a headlock. Without breaking his movement, Adam reached over his shoulder and threw Scott into an incoming Derek. Both alphas were taken out by the countermove, crashing and landing into a heap. Derek heard Adam laugh, and it send a jolt of rage through his body. Throwing Scott off of him, he was right back on his feet an instant later.

…

The battle wasn't going well. Kira ducked and weaved as she helped Cora fend off Evelyn, but it was clearly not going in their favor. They needed Malia. Or Xavier. As Cora scored a vicious blow on her opponent's face, sending Evelyn stumbling away, Kira spared a quick glance around.

Adam was fighting Derek and Scott, though it was apparent that Derek was beginning to tire; Scott was ineffective, and Adam was exploiting his presence to try and hinder Derek's ability to fight.

Isaac was fighting Roan to a standstill; he seemed to be the only one doing relatively well. Kira watched as Roan pummeled Isaac to the ground, but the younger wolf grabbed Roan's shirt, yanking him down with him.

She and Cora were taking on Evelyn, but despite landing some shots, they were outclassed by the more powerful she-wolf. Evelyn fought with a sinister viciousness that neither of them had dealt with before.

Kira quickly gathered her thoughts and dodged to the left as Evelyn sent Cora flying towards her. Swinging her katana in long horizontal sweeps, she tried desperately to ward off the female alpha. It was working briefly, until Evelyn went to extreme methods.

The alpha lunged forward after a swipe and caught the blade as Kira was beginning to wind up. The reduced velocity enabled Evelyn to maintain hold without losing her hands. The blade bit cruelly into her skin, but Evelyn merely smiled fiendishly, ripping the blade out of Kira's grasp and administering a headbutt so hard, it knocked the kitsune senseless.

…

Scott saw his girlfriend go down. In a panic, he turned away from Derek and Adam, lunging toward her prone form, not caring about the alpha standing over her, preparing to deal the death blow. He suddenly felt him jerk backwards as his throat constricted, for a brief instant. Adam had grasped his hoodie in an effort to stop his leap, and with the combating force, the hood was ripped right off his sweatshirt.

"Not the best choice of clothes for a fight, _boy." _Scott heard Adam speak as he doubled over, coughing. His hand reached up to his throat as he recovered from the loss of air. He reached out, trying to drive himself to try and get to his girl, to no avail. He watched as Cora Hale appeared out of nowhere, diving across the courtyard and taking down Evelyn before the latter could end Kira. Temporary relief coursed through him. Silently, he willed a message to Kira: _run._

...

Adam had pinned Derek's arms behind his back after landing a spectacular kick to the elder Hale's head. Dazed, Derek offered no resistance as Adam broke both of his arms at the elbows. His howl of pain echoed across the schoolyard.

Grinning in triumph, Adam reach into Derek's pocket and yanked out the pouch. "Goodbye Derek Hale," He whispered. As he raised his arms, something caught his eye. Ducking, he saw Roan slam into a stone pillar less than a yard to his right. Before he could register what had happened, Isaac Lahey stormed in and delivered a shoulder tackle.

For the first time, Adam went down. The powerful alpha landed like a monument, onto his back. As he rose, he faced down the two alphas confronting him, Isaac and Scott, both of them standing over the fallen Derek. Loyalty. He could respect that. Before he could make a move onto them, the world seemed to explode.

Argent had activated sonic emitters, which he had placed in a perimeter around the quad. Adam fumbled and nearly dropped the precious pouch, but he hung on, clapping his hands to his sensitive ears.

Argent advanced upon Evelyn, firing with his handgun I quick succession, driving her away from Cora and towards Adam and the fallen Roan. It was time for a retreat. Only Argent's cunning and Isaac's prowess had saved all of them from a brutal death.

Adam scooped up Roan, who was still wobbly from Isaac's assault. The three alphas darted back towards the woods.

…

Once he was certain of their safety, Chris shut off the emitters. They were set at a frequency too high for humans to hear, and he had smartly distributed earplugs among his werewolf allies.

Now as Isaac popped his out, he spoke. "I never want to fight them again." Scott nodded his agreement, rubbing his sore joints. He hurt everywhere, like he had that day of Isaac's first lacrosse practice back, but worse.

Stiles appeared from the school entrance. He had barricaded himself there under Scott's instruction. Now he assisted Isaac in helping up Derek as the true wolf's arms healed from Adam's attack.

Kira leaned against the wall, trying to support Cora, who had bore the brunt of Evelyn's assault after Kira went down. The she-wolf was hurt badly, but not too seriously, and she had saved her life. Kira knew both she and Scott were indebted to the younger Hale.

Stiles surveyed the damage in astonishment. After tonight, the school would surely implement security cameras inside the courtyard now. "Hey, hey. They got the pouch."

"Not important," Derek grunted, his face still tight with pain. "There's nothing important in there. Just some wolfsbane. He'll have a nasty reaction when he opens that bag." He tried to smile smugly. It vanished however, when he saw his sister, still lying on the ground as she recovered. He picked her up in his arms, assessing her wounds. "Its not too bad. She'll need some stitching and bandages. It'll take a while for her to heal from an alpha."

Chris was curious. "How did you recover so fast?"

Derek seemed unsure. "I feel like I healed faster than I did when I was just an alpha. I think my new state-my wolf state enhances my powers."

Chris nodded his understanding. "We should all get back to our home. Those animals are long gone, back to wherever they are hiding for the night. They won't go back to the hotel."

Derek adjusted Cora so she was more comfortable. "Help me with her, Chris. Can we use your car?"

Chris readily agreed. "We'll take her to my house. I have some stuff that can really accelerated and help the healing process."

…

Stiles had texted Malia to meet them at Scott's house, and she was waiting for them when they staggered in. She was shocked. Scott looked like a gang had jumped him. Kira's eyes were glassy, and her face was bruising badly. She may be concussed. Only Isaac looked like he was still in fair shape. Well, him and Stiles. Stiles didn't fight.

Scott hurried into the kitchen and grabbed his mom's first aid kit, breathing thanks that she had a night shift. If she saw them like this, she would have flipped.

Isaac and Stiles carefully placed Kira on the couch and dabbed at her face with a moist cloth. Scott slumped into an armchair, pressing an ice pack to his own body. Malia stood awkwardly. "Sooo, what happened?"

The other four teenagers looked at her like she was crazy. "What happened?" Stiles repeated his voice incredulous.

Malia looked at him impatiently. He sighed. "We got our asses handed to us. Well, you guys did," he said pointedly to the others, as Isaac shot him a look. Stiles quickly busied himself with getting another warm towel for Kira.

If Kira was concussed, it wasn't too bad. She groaned and propped herself onto her elbows. Together, she and Isaac recounted the brief but fierce battle to the were-coyote. Isaac was sure to add that he had held his own against Roan and had then saved Derek's life.

Malia didn't look impressed. "See Stiles? I should have gone."

Stiles looked firm. "I didn't want you near them. I'm just trying to keep you safe."

Her expression instantly softened. Xavier had been right, though she knew in her heart that he was ever since talking to him in the Argent household. Stiles only loved her, and he was willing to put himself in greater danger in order to try and keep her safer.

Scott spoke for the first time since they returned to his house. "They nearly killed Cora and Kira. Those guys are too dangerous for us to handle. I hate to say it Stiles, but we need Malia. And frankly, we'll need Chris and Xavier too."

Stiles sighed. Scott was right. "Yeah. Can't we just let Xavier freaking snipe another one of them again? I vote he offs the she-wolf."

**Sorry about the huge gap everyone! I was busy filling out some applications for summer work and I kinda set this aside. Hope you guys like where I'm going with it.**


	24. Aftermath

Xavier could almost raise his head off the couch when he heard to front door unlock, the sound to the bolt sliding loudly echoing throughout the empty house. Malia had left his a few minutes ago, yet it felt like he had been alone for hours.

Now his relief at hearing the door unlock was nearly immediately replaced by feelings of anger. He quickly pushed it away. It was over; there was no need to start and escalate a conflict. His father, and his propensity to dish out punishment, had taught him that long ago.

Xavier sighed to himself. Matt was always better at controlling himself. Matt was the mature one. He should have been the one sent here, and he, Xavier, should have stayed in China to hunt more local prey. For one, Matt wouldn't have made himself a constant burden for Argent.

His still-immobilized body tensed as he heard multiple footsteps enter the house. Whoever was here-probably Chris-was not alone. He listened as it sounded ike two individuals were in the house; and they seemed to be ascending the stairs.

"Here, put her on the bed." _That was Chris. The other?_

"I think its just bruises and slash wounds. She'll be fine in a day or two." _Derek Hale. Who is "she?" Cora?_

The footsteps echoed back down the stairs, slower this time, less hurried. Xavier heard Chris offer Derek a drink, but the alpha declined, saying he had to get back to his loft, where Isaac was. The door slammed shut shortly after, the lock clicking shut.

Xavier tried to shuffle himself into a position where he could face the main hallway, but his body barely twitched. Chris wasn't joking. This paralyzing agent was powerful.

Chris emerged from the hallway and faced him, his face unreadable. "Look, X. I'm sorry I had to do that."

Xavier cut him off. "Its fine. It's over. Is there some way of accelerating the wearing off process?" He tried to shrug, but his shoulders didn't move.

Chris looked nervous. "You're not mad? Not anymore?"

Xavier sighed. "If you're still concerned, I have a dagger in my left sleeve. You can take that, if you're worried about me gutting you."

That got a laugh out of the veteran hunter. "I wouldn't go that far." He winked. "You couldn't gut me even if you could move." Xavier snorted, but he allowed Chris to have the last word.

"What was Derek doing here?"

Chris hesitated momentarily. His eyes reflexively glanced towards the hallway from whence he came. "She was hurt fighting Evelyn Murray. Looks like you both have a score to settle with that one." Xavier shuddered at the memory. Chris continued before he could stress out the younger man. "Cora's fine, but the injuries were inflicted by an alpha, so she'll probably rest up here for a day or two. I have some stuff that can help accelerate her healing. Not yours," he added, throwing him a sympathetic look.

Xavier groaned theatrically. "Get me a beer if I'm gonna be stuck here for the next few hours."

"Ten hours," Chris tossed over his shoulder, a hint of a smile on his face. He heard Xavier let loose with a string of expletives. "Calm down. I only gave you half a dose. I took out the syringe before it emptied. You should thank me."

Xavier only cursed louder.

…

Since he was still mostly paralyzed, Xavier ended up having to drink out of a plastic cup with a straw. Chris lessened the ridiculousness of it by making the younger man a Roman coke, but that did not stop him from ribbing. "I have never seen this before in my entire life hunting werewolves."

Xavier snorted, but only succeeded in choking on spiced rum. "You're the one who stabbed me," he hacked out. "How's Cora?"

Chris patted Xavier's shoulder reassuringly. "Relax, your girlfriend is fine." Xavier made a strange gurgling sound. "She's been sleeping the whole time. Derek told her not to hop out the window this time around."

Xavier cast his eyes towards his drink. "I hope so."

Chris shuffled uncomfortably, not wanting to make Xavier talk about something he may or may not wish to broach. "Have you spoken to your dad recently?"

Xavier nodded. "Yeah. You were there when I called him a few days after etting out of the hospital. I didn't tell him what had happened though. Too scared to admit what I allowed to happen." He paused, taking a generous chug of his drink. "I called him again last week. Told him about the alpha pack, but that's it."

"And?" Chris probed, intrigued.

"He told me to either observe them, or handle it as he would." Xavier gave Chris a wry grin. "Probably meant I should just kill them. Like it would be that easy. Thing is, he didn't really seem to care. Or he has way too much confidence in me."

His next sentence was a surprise. "I'm probably not going to bother calling him again."

Chris wasn't sure how to respond. Other hunter families often joked that the mantra of the Cho's was "tough love to stand above" based on their sterling reputation for producing elite operatives, as well as their tarnished one for using practices deemed unethical. He started to wonder, after getting to know Xavier, just how much "love" was involved.

Xavier continued. "Reputation was what was most important. My father always said that he was training us because he wanted us to live. But I wonder if he was truly talking to us, or the family legacy. I mean, can you imagine the word? 17-year old hunter faces off against an alpha pack? That's suicide. And glorious."

He leaned his head back, not caring about the roman coke sitting in front of him. "I just want to live. I want to help, save people. But I want to live." He looked at Argent. "Those that mean that I'm a coward?"

Chris shook his head slowly. "It means that you're a true hunter. Nous chassons ceux qui nous chassent. We hunt those who hunt us."

Xavier cocked his eyebrows. "I though you and Allison had changed that."

Chris shook his head. "Added on. But now we're the ones being hunted. Old habits don't die easily."

…

Adam dumped out the wolfsbane as soon as he got to the nearest trash depot. He had expected Derek Hale to fill the pouch with a false object, maybe some rocks or some generic wolf claws. He had not predicted the alpha's deviousness. This was on the level of a dangerous college prank.

His eyes were already swollen, as were those of Evelyn and Roan. All three of them were succumbing to the allergic reaction. He felt a surge of gratitude that they had been able to deal plenty of injuries to Derek's pack, because now would have been a fantastic time to ambush them, if they hadn't been so injured themselves.

Fortunately the motel had an outside dumpster, so they were able to rid themselves of the wolfsbane without lacing their room with it. That would have really been hell.

Despite his immense anger and discomfort, he really had to hand it to Derek Hale. Their opponent played dirty, whether it was by design or spite. It only spelled even more certain doom for him, but they will let him have this small victory.

Evelyn, unstable as she often was, was much less amused. "I am going to disembowel that fucking man. Then I'm going to quarter him, and _eat _him."

"Easy love, you will get your revenge soon enough."

She wheeled on him. "How do you know that?" she snapped. If angry enough, Evelyn had no problems with challenging her alpha.

Adam put on a sympathetic smile, spreading his arms out in a carefree gesture. "How can I not?"

…

Cora stirred as the door to her room cracked open. She didn't open her eyes, but she could smell him. He smelled good.

Xavier silently shut the door behind him, and then walked over to the edge of the bed, where Cora lay. It was hard to believe that less than a week ago he had made out with her here.

She breathed in, then opened her eyes. "Hey."

"How are you feeling?"

She gave him a slight sideways smile. "Alright. Lots of cuts, lots of blood. It's healing, but I keep of tearing them open when I move. Puts stress on the wounds. Derek and Chris said they should stitch some of the bigger ones up to let it heal quicker."

Xavier nodded. "That doesn't sound so bad."

Cora looked indifferent. "Just sucks to be stuck here. I'm so tired. I've been sleeping all day, and I'm still so tired." She yawned, her mouth opening to reveal her sharp canines.

Xavier stared at her for a couple minutes, making her shift around on the bed in discomfort. He finally smiled, and leaned over her, kissing her on the forehead. She smiled weakly at him. "That was nice."

"Yeah, it was." He climbed over her, and yanked the comforter over himself. She gave a small yelp in surprise.

"Hey. Hey! I'm bleeding. You shouldn't be here." But she couldn't help but laugh.

Xavier hugged her body, assuming the big spoon position. "Shut up. I'm tired too."

She snuggled up against his body. She could feel his chiseled abs pressed against her back. "You know, you're not half bad, for being a dumb teenager. And a were-hunter."

"And you're not half bad, for a Hale."

Cora smiled, closing her eyes. She felt safe. His body was warm.

**Don't worry, its not the end yet. Not even close, so don't let the title mislead you into thinking I left this to die in a crappy manner. As always, I appreciate the reviews and reads. It makes my day!**


	25. Home Invasion

Chris felt it before he heard it. He heard it before he saw it. Well, them. Without turning, he lifted his beer to his lips and sipped. "You know, the lock up front always makes noise. So how'd you get in without me hearing?"

Araya Calavera and Severo stood shoulder to shoulder behind him. "Oh Chris, you should learn better than to doubt the Calaveras by now."

Chris turned around slowly, beer bottle still in hand. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Araya made a clucking sound with her tongue, almost disapprovingly. "I can sense sarcasm when I hear it, young man. Do not think that you can hide it from me, merely because you are a good liar."

Chris almost rolled his eyes. Araya was a lethal figure in the hunter's guild, but she overestimated her own reach and power. Ryan Cho had been the one to say it to her face several years ago, causing the Mexican huntress much anger and embarrassment. Chris almost smiled at the memory. His father, Gerard had laughed upon hearing that. Gerard and Ryan Cho had always relatively gotten along. Perhaps that is why he and Xavier connected well.

He decided to get to the point. "Why are you here, Araya?"

The leader of the Calaveras stepped forward, so she was less than a foot away. Her face only reached Chris' chin, but she still radiated power and arrogance. "Derek Hale. We're here for him."

Chris lowered his voice. "He doesn't live here. You know that."

She smirked at him. Severo, the entire time, had remained silent, statuesque. "I'm only here to give you forward notice. I know the other Hale is here," she indicated towards the second floor, where Cora and Xavier were sleeping. "I'm not here for her. But Derek has spilled human blood. And I'm going to spill his."

Chris stepped forward violently, causing Severo to brandish the large machete he had under his coat. "You leave Derek Hale be."

Araya shook her head, smiling sadistically. "I promised you, Chris. I would not harm a hair on Scott McCall or his pack, if you helped me find Kate. You haven't done that. You still owe me a favor. Yet I will hold up my end of the deal. Scott and his friends are safe." Her gaze became steely. "Derek is not."

Chris glared at her, the two hunters locked in a stare-down. He wanted to threaten her, say something to rile her up. He didn't.

Araya flashed him a smug grin. "Pleasure seeing you, Chris. You must have been lonely, having to keep a Hale in your house. Chris bristled at the sick implication she was giving, but he merely nodded at her.

She didn't know about the other hunter in town. He wasn't alone, by any means.

…

Xavier was drooling. Cora giggled quietly and she ran her fingers along his chest, tickling him lightly until he stirred.

"You were drooling," she teased. "Is it because I'm here?"

Xavier exhaled deeply, but he didn't respond. Cora frowned. "Wake up."

"No."

She scrunched up her face. "Damn it, Xavier. Maybe you're as bad as I originally thought." She tickled his chest again.

Without warning, he reached over and caught her by the wrists. He flipped her on her back and began to kiss her, while tickling her.

Cora was ticklish. She squealed and kicked, and soon enough she was snorting. That was enough to get him to stop. He collapsed back onto the bed, trying not to laugh. Cora tried to look angry. "You suck."

He rolled out of bed. "On that note, I'm getting up. You want anything?"

"Yeah," she huffed. "I want you to come back here."

He looked at the ceiling and rolled his eyes, but he obliged her. She pushed him into the little spoon position. "I'm still tired."

"Wait a minute, there is no way that's…" he began to protest, but she cut him off.

"I'm a big girl. Now go back to sleep."

"Yes ma'am."

…

Derek was surprised to find Chris Argent outside his loft door. For one, nobody ever knocked. They just barged in. Second, it was Chris Argent.

He motioned for the man to come in. "What's wrong? Is Cora alright?"

"Yes, Cora is fine. We'll probably stitch her up once she wakes up. I came because of something else." Derek sat down on his mattress, while Chris faced him, leaning against the table. "Araya Calavera broke into my house last night. She's in Beacon Hills now, and I think she's put a hit on you.

If Derek was bothered, he didn't show it. "On what grounds?"

Chris rubbed his face, his stress wrinkles appearing as he went longer and longer without sleep. "Derek, we know about Paige. You're eyes. We know you've spilt innocent blood. I'm not blaming you; it was a horrible accident, and Peter lied to you."

Derek bowed his head, a hint of pain on his face. "It was still my fault. I was a stupid boy in high school. Stupid, stupid, stupid."

Chris stifled a yawn. He cast his eyes over the solemn alpha. He thought about how shrewd Derek had been, even as a teenager, to have gone so far to ask an alpha, Ennis, to deliver the bite to a human girl, just so they could be together. To be honest, he _did _blame Derek. It was a repulsive thing to do. It was selfish.

Chris shook his head. It was in the past. He couldn't dwell on it now, and Derek knew he had made a mistake.

He returned his eyes to Derek, only to find the alpha eyeing him thoughtfully. "You lied, Chris. You do blame me."

Chris sighed. _So much for that_. "I do. I can never agree with what you did, nor your reasons or excuses. But it's over, Derek. I still have your back."

"Thanks, Chris." Derek said, his voice still downcast.

"But you need to watch what you do. I'm not referring to the past. Araya has hunters looking for you. Be careful of where you go, who you keep around you."

Derek didn't move, reminding Chris of the Derek of old, when they were enemies. Stoic and confident. "I don't need your advice, however much I appreciate you coming here to tell me." His blue eyes bore into Chris, as if he was reading his mind. "And I know you won't take that for an answer, so the door is that way."

Chris turned to go, but he paused as he reached the exit doorway. "Derek, suppose the hunters Araya sends. Say they're good." He heard Derek scoff, but he continued to speak. "Say they're as good as someone like Xavier."

Derek didn't answer, and Chris left, closing the door behind him.

…

Xavier had finished stitching Cora up when Chris called in from the hallway. He gave his girlfriend one final kiss before exiting the room.

"Hey." She called as he neared the bedroom door. He turned to look at her. She smiled coyly. "Come back when you're done."

…

Chris yanked out a chair as Xavier stepped into the kitchen wordlessly offering him a seat. Xavier sat, and invitingly held his arms out. _What_?

"Araya Calavera stopped by last night. We exchanged words, and she and her son left. She warned me that she was coming after Derek Hale." He saw Xavier's eyes widen. That got his attention.

Chris scooted his chair a few feet back so he could rest his legs on the table. He leaned back, so only the two rear legs on the chair stayed on the floor. "She guaranteed the safety of Scott and his friends. Derek is the sole target."

Xavier scratched his head. "She could be lying."

Chris didn't think so. "Araya is way too proud to lie to me. She's arrogant and she means everything she says."

Xavier thought for a minute. "Do you know if she's doing it herself?"

"No idea. I warned Derek, but he pretty much brushed off my words." Xavier quickly opened his mouth to say something, but Chris read his mind, and quickly assuaged his concern. "Araya doesn't know where he lives, and I wasn't followed. I made sure."

Xavier still looked dubious. "You're sure."

Chris didn't blink. "Absolutely. Araya doesn't know Beacon Hills like I do. She hasn't ever lived in the States before, either."

"So we're dealing with some Mexican wolf hunters. Araya may or may not be involved directly in the hunt. However, you should note that she's still after your sister Kate. "

Chris pointed at him. "Exactly. And that's why I think that she won't actively participate. Araya is a bit more of the corporate type anyway."

Xavier processed this information. _The corporate type. _"I think we should keep this between us. I don't want any…extra variables involved."

"I agree."

Xavier rose, grabbing his jacket from where it hung on the back of his chair. "I'll be back. Gotta check on something; be back in a couple hours. If Cora asks, I'm buying her dinner."

Chris grinned. "Make it a decent one. My first girlfriend, I got her Chinese takeout the first time."

…

Xavier stepped out of the house, his eyes adjusting to the change in lighting. Or lack of thereof. Night had fallen over Beacon Hills; he and Cora had slept through the entire day since last night, when she had been brought in. He was still feeling drousy. Getting too much sleep at a time does that to person.

Rubbing his face, he dragged himself to his car. Putting the sports car into gear, he pulled out of the parking lot and drove out of the neighborhood. The Calaveras knew where Chris lived, and he kept a careful watch for any potential tail. He found none. It was a shame; he kind of wished someone had the gall to follow him.

He kept going, until he arrived to the small two-story house he had eaten lunch at just last Sunday. He parked his car a block down; he had developed a sort of habit for doing that kind of thing.

Scott McCall opened the door. He still had some light bruising on his face, but he still brightened some when he saw Xavier. "Hey dude, I-" he was cut off as Xavier brushed past him, walking into the house.

Xavier spoke quickly, in clipped tones. "When you went to Mexico, you and your friends. How did you guys make the trip?"

Scott stammered, "We drove. Took a couple days."

"Where's the nearest airport?"

"Maybe an hour away? What's so important about the airport?"

Xavier ignored Scott's questions, turning away and walking into the kitchen. It was empty; he guessed that Melissa was at the hospital. Scott tried to follow him, but Xavier shook his head. Scott frowned, but he did not push further, turning to go up the stairs. Xavier called after him, putting a threatening ton in his voice. "You better not listen from the top."

Chris picked up on the third ring. Xavier explained to him his thinking. Chris caught on immediately. "X, I could have told you all that. I thought we weren't going to discuss anything with Scott and company."

"No worries. They know nothing. Do you think we can get records on train arrivals? Passengers, boarding locations?"

"We definitely can. I can tap into their system. I'll do it right now." Chris sounded confident; that was good. Xavier could hear the scraping that signified Chris dragging a chair across whichever room he was in. "What if they don't come by train?"

Xavier leaned against Scott's refrigerator. "That's what concerns me a little bit more. The nearest airport is a ways off. We'll never be able to plug into airline records. Not unless we have an inside source. Which we don't."

Chris didn't seem concerned. "I'd bet that they arrive by train." Xavier didn't answer, prompting him to continue. "They're coming from Mexico, which gives us a few clues. They'll want as low a profile as possible, and they can't bring anything heavy. Auto rifles, explosives, that kind of stuff. They'll have less security either driving or riding a train or bus in. We can cover the latter two."

Xavier was catching on. A plane would be inconvenient due to its much higher security standards, and there was no point in driving in, then catching a non-international flight. "They'll probably want to do the job quickly too, so that leaves out ordering specific equipment. They'll probably set up, and make their move within the week."

"Exactly. There's only one official lodging spot. The motel. Judging from its state, they keep written records. We can't touch them electronically." Xavier nodded to himself.

"That means we need to confirm their presence, and go back to the motel only if we need to."

He could hear Chris tapping furiously at his computer keyboard, the keyboard making the familiar clicking sounds in quick succession. "Correct. My guess? They won't drive. Driving through the States is a pain. Plus, the bus doesn't check baggage. They'll get past customs, buy some guns, and ride here, taking advantage of the lighter security."

"Brilliant. That was both sarcasm and a compliment to you, by the way."

He heard Chris laugh dryly over the phone. "Cora says she likes takeout. Strange girl. You might as well get some for me too; I like General Tso's."

Xavier wrinkled his nose. "You both like that fake American shit, huh? Fine, I'll do it, but only because my girlfriend wants it."

"Glad to hear it," a husky voice replaced the deeper one belonging Chris Argent. _Cora. _"See you later, babe." _Well damn._


	26. Gametime

The whistle blew, and Scott was off like a shot, the ball in his stick. Dodging defender, he spun and whipped a shot, but the goalie pulled a terrific save. Scott blew out his breath in frustration. They were one of the conference's top teams, but most of their wins had come against inferior competition. Davenport Prep was the consummate top team in the district and they were showing it tonight.

His thoughts were interrupted by the furious yelling of Coach Finstock. "McCall! If you're gonna mope like your girlfriend dumped you, then sit your ass down and mope on the bench!"

Kira tapped him on the elbow. "Um, Coach? He didn't get dumped. We're still dating." Stile shot her a look. She suddenly felt very stupid.

Apparently Finstock did too. "Shut up Yukimara! Get on the field for Greenberg! Wait, you two date? How on earth did McCall manage to scoop you?" The referee whistle blew and Kira gratefully ran onto the field, leaving Finstock looking confused.

"Coach, I'm totally with you on this one," Stiles added helpfully. Finstock glared.

"Shut your mouth Stilinski, or I'll fail you in Econ. Oh that's right, you're probably already failing."

Stiles clammed up, and Finstock returned his attention back to the field, where Davenport had just scored. The coach kicked at the ground. "Dammit! I'm failing you if we lose, Stilinski!"

…

Xavier sat on the bleachers and tried not to roll his eyes at Finstock's tantrum. He had invited Cora to come to the game with him, but she had smirked and refused, citing that she didn't want to spend an evening cheering for "stupid teenagers." Xavier had pointed out that he was in their grade, but she had dismissed his words. Come to think of it she was a lot like Finstock, without all the volume. So she had stayed in the house with Chris.

They had spoken to Derek and he agreed to allow Cora to remain temporarily with the hunters, if anything to keep her away from the Calaveras.

So instead, he found himself next to Malia. Excluding the obvious derision, Malia was just as disinterested in the game as Cora would have been. Truly a Hale indeed. Xavier popped her a question, if anything, just out of curiosity. "Malia, do you like basketball?"

Malia raised her head from the math textbook she had her head buried in, a red highlighter in her mouth. Spitting it into her open book. "Yeah. Best sport in the world. LeBron for life. And I don't even understand lacrosse. The hitting is sometimes cool."

Xavier tried to hold in the scoff he felt coming up, but he only ended up choking. "LeBron…cute," he gasped out. Malia looked offended. "I was just curious. But I don't like Bron."

Malia sneered. "So you're a Lakers fan."

Xavier shook his head no. "Not important. But I'm not a Lakers boy. I said I was curious."

Malia dropped it. "So what's the score?"

"Can you read it?"

Malia scowled. "Just because I'm bad at math doesn't mean I can't read numbers."

Xavier faked a laugh. "Could've fooled me. Or maybe all that red highlighting is giving you away. Head's up. Your boyfriend got subbed in."

Malia raised her head to watch Stiles run onto the field, then run back off of it to get his helmet, which he had forgotten on the bench. Finstock was fuming, but Stiles was still a much better player than Greenberg.

…

Despite Scott's reluctance to wolf out, Isaac and Kira combined to score four goals and Stiles tripped in front of the opposing goalie, scoring the game-winner when the ball rolled into the net. The bleachers roared, and even Xavier clapped.

Finstock was bounding up and down. "That's my boy! That's my son! Perfect execution of the game plan!" He ran onto the field, both arms held to the sky. "The bigger they are, the bigger they are!"

"What? Did something happen?" Malia asked. Xavier pretended not to hear.

…

Scott, Isaac, Kira, and Stiles found Xavier lounging in the parking lot after they had changed out of their gear. "Yo! Congrats guys!" Xavier greeted them them with a huge grin. He slapped palms with Scott, Stiles and Isaac and gave Kira a big hug.

Scott grinned back. "Thanks dude. So what's up?"

Xavier was careful to make no mention of Calavera or her intention to target Derek. "Not much. Plans?"

Isaac shrugged his shoulders. "There's an after party celebrating the win. I think it's at Danny's place.

Stiles grinned, smacking Xavier in the chest. "Danny digs me." Xavier rolled his eyes. "He also throws the best parties."

Before Xavier could reply, Stile's face paled. "Crap."

The group turned around. Four guys were approaching them, all from the Davenport Prep lacrosse team. "Hey! This ain't over. We'll see you in the district tourney, and ya'll are dead meat."

Scott held his hands up in a gesture of peace. "Hey guys, it was just a game. You guys played really good. Calm down, and we'll see you later."

The leader of the group shoved Scott hard, catching the alpha by surprise. Scott stumbled back, almost tripping. The Davenport Prep guy laughed. He was a muscular one, with dark brown hair and almost as tall as Isaac. He wore a letterman jacket and brand-new jeans. The other three boys were dressed the same way. They were seniors, by the looks of it.

Another boy, this one more slender, with a head full of spiked blonde hair stepped forward. He smelled strongly of Axe body spray and the smell of it was making both Scott and Isaac gag. Negative perk of being a werewolf. He sneered at them, sticking his chin out at them. "We know all about the party at your queerbag teammate's house. Don't worry, we'll see you all soon enough." He flicked his eyebrows tauntingly at Scott while his three teammates threw back their heads, laughing uproariously.

Sties could feel the anger bubbling. Everyone liked Danny. He saw Isaac's face contort and he began to step forward. Xavier was faster. His hand lashed out, fingers straight, palm up. He thrust his hand right into the bulging adam's apple of the leader.

The bigger boy dropped like a stone, landing on three while his other hand reached up to massage his throat. He stayed down, coughing like he was sick. The other three boys were stunned for a few seconds. Two of them recovered and reached for Xavier.

The hunter retreated but Isaac stepped forward to defend him. He shoved one guy to the ground and grabbed the spiky-haired guy by his jacket. He raised his fist as if to punch him, his face a mask of fury. "If I see you at the party, I will break you in half." He let go of the boy and pushed him away, back towards where the visiting team's bus was. "Now get outta here with your loser team."

The four boys made a hasty retreat, glancing back over their shoulders to see if Isaac was following them. Isaac didn't move, but neither did his death stare. "What a bunch of punk-asses."

Xavier cracked his neck. "Hey, now you'll win your playoff game with them. Just give the ball to Isaac all day."

They all laughed. Scott and Kira then climbed into Stiles' jeep, along with Malia. Xavier caught Isaac's arm when he attempted to follow. "Ride with me."

…

"That's crazy," Isaac said for at least the fifth time. "So there's basically like, a hit list with Derek's name on it."

"Well, Derek _is _the hit list," Xavier corrected. "But yeah, and now some pretty dangerous guys are coming after him."

As Xavier pulled up to Danny's house, he took stock of the situation. Danny had a really nice house; around the same size of Chris Argent's. There were some strobe lights, pounding music, and a lot of teenagers. He turned to Isaac, who was still looking at his seriously. "Before we go get boozed, tell me something. Why did you tell me all that? Especially since you and Chris agreed to keep it from Scott."

Xavier shrugged. "I trust you. And I know you won't tell anyone. Its called reliability, Isaac."

"What are you going to do, when you find them?"

Xavier had opened the car door but after hearing Isaac's question, he re-shut it. He regarded his new friend. "I'm going to kill them."

"What about the code?"

Another shrug. "Do I look like an Argent? C'mon, I've never been to a school party before."

Isaac sighed and followed the Chinese hunter, getting out of the passenger side and shutting the car door. "Its nothing special," he yelled over the pounding bass. "Just don't get a girl pregnant."

He didn't think Xavier heard him, but it was probably a safe bet that the guy wasn't going to let that happen.

…

Xavier stepped into the house, and he was momentarily stunned by the sheer amount of activity happening. Students were throwing a football indoors. Girls were grinding on each other, most of them wearing revealing swimwear and some even dancing on tables. The air was thick wit the smell of chips and booze.

Isaac had disappeared. He must be in the back. Xavier waded through the mostly drunk crowd to the back door. The backyard was bigger, but not much less crowded. There was another football game being played, and guys were tackling each other. Danny had an in-ground pool and there were guys and girls already swimming, or making out. He though he saw a chicken fight tournament going on.

"Sup bro?" Danny greeted Xavier with a handshake and a hug. He liked Danny; he was one of the smartest classmates he had and he was mature and tech-savvy. "You digging this thing?"

Xavier screwed a smile on his face, though in reality, he was a little out of his element. "Yeah. Yeah, man, its pretty awesome. I didn't know you had a pool."

Danny grinned at him. "Parents had it installed last summer. They're in Europe right now. You want a drink? Or something _else?_"

Xavier's eyes wandered over the half-dozen kegs neatly arranged in a table near the pool. "I'll pass for the first hour, dawg. I'll talk to you later, alright?" _But just talk._

Danny slapped his back, winking at him. "Totally dude. Enjoy the party!" He went inside to join in the dancing. Danny had to know he had just been rejected; he was just too smooth and polite to make it obvious.

_Thank god for guys like him_,Xavier thought. _Humanity has hope after all_. "Thanks, I'll try," he murmured after Danny. He really was tempted to leave on the spot. He could relax with Chris, or watch something with Cora. Or _do_ something with Cora.

…

For having been so disconnected from human society for the majority of her life, Malia was a pretty good dancer. Stiles had hoped to just get through the night, drink, maybe relax a bit. Not a chance. His aggressive Were-Coyote had hauled him into the living room and grinded with him for so long, he began to wonder if he was going numb.

Danny clearly liked electronic; the party soundtrack was nearly exclusive to the genre. The energy of the music, coupled with the power of booze and marijuana seemed to influence the crowd of teenagers. They danced with reckless abandon, laughing and screaming. Malia was fitting right in. Stiles finally pulled himself away from his girlfriend and staggered outside, where he collapsed on the backyard lawn, cooling off in the grass and staring into the sky. There were so many stars, but the moon was notably absent. It was funny; if his friends weren't werewolves, there was no way he would have ever given something like the moon so much thought.

He saw Malia emerge from the house, but when she saw him, she merely waved and smiled. She then turned and went back into the house. That. That was why he loved her. She wasn't needy, just loyal.

"Rough night?" Stiles twisted his head to see Isaac sit down next to him. He welcomed the werewolf's presence. When Isaac had apologized to him for his previous behavior, the two had talked everything out. It was at the point where Stiles didn't think twice about Isaac being his friend.

Stiles forced a laugh. "Yeah. Malia dances like she fights."

Isaac's mouth formed an _oh_. "Perks of being single." His face suddenly turned into one of horror. "Dude, I am so sorry. Fuck!"

Stiles quickly moved to assuage his friend. "Don't worry about it dude. You're fine. We should remember her, not forget her." Isaac flopped onto the grass a few feet away, nodding his head in relief and agreement.

Isaac jerked his head up. "Stiles, its Xavier." Stiles looked up and saw the hunter shuffling away from the house, his phone held to his ear. The guy was in a hurry, and he was animated.

"Isaac, what's he saying? Who's he talking to?"

Isaac looked at him strange. "Not our business man."

Stiles leaned over and hissed into Isaac's ear. "I don't care, dude. Whatever's going on over there, it's important. I want to know."

Isaac sighed, but he closed his eyes, trying to pick out Xavier's voice. A few moments later, Xavier took the phone from his ear. He pounded to the screen for a few seconds, then turned and hurried into the house. Moments later, Isaac's phone vibrated.

The tall boy looked down to check his device. He read it out loud. "Something came up. No big deal. Sorry man, you'll need another ride." Isaac shook his head. He knew why Xavier had left, but he remembered not to mention anything aloud, not with Stiles within earshot.

Stiles was thinking. "Brief texter," he mused. "But you're right. I'm just naturally curious." He rose to his feet, turning to head back to the house. "Gotta go back in and find my girlfriend."

…

Xavier yanked the transmission stick and his car reacted accordingly, roaring off away into the night. He wasn't upset about leaving the party behind him; it wasn't his scene.

Chris had called him, which had encouraged him to leave Danny's house. The older hunter had found something; transit bus records had revealed the departure of four Latino men from an airport in Dallas. Chris believed the airport was merely a cover; the men were only there because of the bus station. The airport was an extra precaution to throw off any potential monitors.

Xavier pressed harder on the gas petal, accelerating his car. He was excited. Something was about to go down.


	27. Bad Move

Scott sensed her before he saw her. He spun around, to come face-to-face with Evelyn. She had already left a trail of stupefied high school boys in her wake. "Scott McCall," she purred. "I believe I have never had the pleasure. Talking to you."

Scott stiffened when she touched his shoulder. "I wouldn't quite use that word."

She smiled seductively. "Fine, be that way. I'm just a messenger."

Scott let out a low growl. It was drowned out by the music, but he could see that Evelyn's ears still picked up the sound, judging from her face. She leaned into him, as if they were dancing. Scott was careful not to touch her. "What's the message?"

"This." She extended her claws, and jabbed at a nearby girl who was grinding on a boy from the lacrosse team. Right before her nails punctured the girl's thigh, Evelyn withdrew her hand. She turned back to regard Scott, who wore a look of pure horror on his face.

"Are you insane?" He hissed. "You can't do that."

"Oh, I can, and I would. You made the wrong move, boy. You think you can play Adam? You think you can play me? Or Roan? Just remember. It's not your pack versus ours. It's us versus all of you here. If we don't get what we want, I have no problem killing everyone in this house. I think I've made my point." She leaned in and kissed Scott on the lips. "Tell your hunter friend to keep his gun on him. He'll need it when I see him again."

Evelyn melted away into the crowd, leaving Scott shaken. He turned his head and saw Kira eyeing the spot where Evelyn disappeared. She wore a dangerous-looking scowl on her face. She then met his gaze and gave him a sympathetic look. Scott was too frozen to feel any better from it. He had made a grave error in trying to trick and ambush Adam. It had nearly gotten an innocent girl killed. Evelyn had sent a message. They were willing to be patient, but they were going to get what they wanted. And patience always has a fuse…

…

Chris' face was grave when Xavier arrived back at the Argent manor. The Argent was typing at his laptop, seated comfortably in an armchair in the living room. He looked up as Xavier approached. "Scott just called. Evelyn showed up at the party, less than a minute after you left." He saw Xavier's face tighten. Fear? Anxiety? It only lasted for a brief instant.

He went on. "She threatened to kill anyone and everyone at the party. Just as retaliation for Scott's little stunt. She shows that they don't play fair. In fact, they play dirtier than Deucalion's pack ever did."

Xavier cocked his head to the side. "Don't play fair. Sounds like Matt and I." He smiled despite himself. The young hunter shook off his jacket and carefully placed it on the chair he had placed it earlier that day. He moved over to the living room couch, the same one he had spent over half a day immobilized on.

"This just got crazy real. The next time we deal with them, we need to kill them. All of them. If we leave one of them alive, they will kill someone else." As Chris processed this, what Xavier said next chilled him. "I don't care about the other people. I only say this because if someone dies, it would break Scott."

His words hit Chris like a punch. Xavier sounded very cold, a lot like his father. He wasn't terribly surprised though; he saw streaks of the young man's ruthlessness all the time. Xavier didn't just want to help Scott. He was holding a grudge.

Xavier went on. "Hey, you said you may have gotten a bead on our hunters. What else? I know that's not all you have."

Chris tore his attention away from what he had just heard. "Yeah, of course. These four guys. They paid in cash, so I have really nothing in terms of identification."

Xavier looked confused. Then how did you you know anything? How did you know they were Latino? "

Chris grinned. "This is where you think I'm a genius. They paid with cash, yes, but security footage caught two guys walking together. Here's a snapshot." He pulled up a slightly grainy photo. The image was slightly blurred-Xavier could tell Chris had sharpened up the photo a much as he could without sacrificing color contrast-but he could see the idea. Both men were of athletic build. They were in mid-stride, and their backs were ramrod straight, their heads looking straight ahead. They looked like professional killers.

Chris added, "And four tickets were purchased from Dallas to Beacon Hills."

Xavier finished the statement. "Let me guess. They were for consecutive seats, and all four were aid in cash. And to make it even more possibly obvious, they were the only passengers to pay with greenbacks."

"Exactly. The only four tickets, out of fifty two total passengers." Xavier pressed his lips together, impressed.

"Chris, this still isn't proof."

Chris shut his laptop down. "We could get lucky if one of them slips and uses a bank card, especially when they stop for food. That, or even a written check.

Xavier made a face. Chris nodded at him. "I know, I doubt they'd make that mistake. But the bus arrived in two days anyhow, just after noon. We can confirm our theory when they debark. If it's really them."

Xavier knew they had them. "That covers our bases then. Let us hope that for their sakes that they are just…tourists."

…

Xavier shoved his history exam into his backpack, not bothering on looking at the grade written on top. It wasn't important. He shot a smirk at Kira, who was staring at her own paper in horror, where the large red 86 was clear to see.

Practically sprinting through the halls, he bee-lined for the parking lot. _I wonder if this is kind of how they feel when they play lacrosse. _Vaulting over Lydia's tiny Benz-he hoped she didn't see-he clambered into his own ride. Twisting the ignition, Xavier peeled out of the parking lot, heading towards the bus station. He bluetooth called Chris, who picked up immediately. "Yeah, X?"

"I'm en route. Is it just going to be me?" Xavier fought to keep his voice level as he nearly clipped another car. He was going too fast. Easing on the gas petal, he tried to catch Chris' reply.

"…yeah. Araya knows only about one of us, and frankly, we'd be foolish to completely trust one another. I would expect her to tell them to keep a look out for me, especially at the bus station."

Made sense. "I want to take them out, tonight. If we confirm them."

He could hear the incredulity in Chris' answer. "What? No, for God's sake, X. We can't touch them. Not yet."

Xavier snorted. "Chris, c'mon. They're trying to _kill _Derek Hale. We have to protect him, or that alpha pack will devour us. The second they make a mistake, I'm targeting them."

Silence from the other side of the line. Finally, Chris spoke. "You're right. But we're only doing it when no one else can get hurt."

"Or if there's no other choice."

…

Bus 213 pulled in, and Xavier ducked his head back in his car. The four riders were supposed to be on this line. And judging from the tickets they bought, they were sitting in the back. Which meant they would get off last. Xavier shut off his iPod, which had been connected to his dashboard. It had been a boring fifteen-minute wait; he wasn't the most patient teenager.

He had strategically chosen to park in the elevated parking structure, as the bus and train stations were combined and they both used the same parking place. He had placed his car on an elevated floor, to give him a good sighting line.

He was admittedly tempted. Though in theory it was reckless, he was all for drilling them with his Barrett from his overhead perch. The only thing that spotted him from doing so was his loyalty to Chris, and his uncertainty of the identity of the travelers. More so the former than the latter. He was already pretty confident that these four were the targets.

_Calm down, Xavier. Impatience makes you stupid. And I mean you, specifically. _Xavier chuckled, laughing at his own expense. He was right, of course. It was a flaw of his, and he knew it. A shootout here would not only put him at risk against four potential hunters, but it would also draw attention and do much more harm than good. Not to mention the potential for civilian casualties.

The 213 bus slowed to a stop beside a curb with a sign labeling it as it's designated spot. Xavier watched as the bus doors folded open and passengers began to file out. Xavier took out the small Canon powershot digital camera he had brought with him and aimed it at the bus stop. Smartphone cameras have become remarkable powerful in the recent years, but they still didn't match true digital cameras in picture quality, and Xavier didn't want anything to do with the questionable color saturation and frame rate of his phone camera.

There they were. They came out one after another, four guys in total. All four were young men, fairly tall and athletic looking. Xavier guessed that all of them were between their early to late twenties. And they were definitely hunters. The way that all of them glanced around in all directions; it was almost like they were nervous. Araya had definitely warned them about the great Chris Argent.

Xavier shuffled by a pillar holding up the level above where he was at, just in case they could spot him out. He doubted it. They were sharp enough to look at the elevated positions. They were good, Xavier gave them that. However, they made one critical error in his eyes; they came together. They should have all arrived from alone, some by bus, some by train. One should have used a false ID while the others paid in cash. This would have fooled Chris into thinking just one assassin was coming; if he would have been able to pick out the lone man at all, seeing both he and Xavier were expecting a group.

They had revealed themselves in their efforts to hide.

Xavier smiled grimly at the ironic nature, and he quickly snapped several pictures. Pictures of each man, as well as pictures of the group, from various angles. He continued monitoring them as they retrieved their bags from the bus' underside. Nothing too heavy; though they may have procured some heavier weapons once they got past U.S. customs. Surely Araya would have provided them with guns and gun license documents.

As a group, the men headed towards the local bus stop by the station. Xavier could see from his perch that a bus unit was approaching. He knew they were going to the motel; if he could get there first, he could learn where they stayed. They would not expect anyone to be there already, unless it was Chris Argent himself.

Xavier got back into his car, and exited the parking structure, jamming his exit ticket into the machine and waiting as the blockade pole was raised.

…

Derek greeted his sister as she returned to the loft. Cora looked good. She looked happy. Chris had done a good job taking care of her.

He nodded at her. "How you feeling?"

She smiled at him. Like, _whoa_. "Pretty good. Slept a whole ton over there. Xavier was busy as hell most of the time." She tossed her hoodie at him, as if she was trying to use him as a coat hanger.

Derek found it a bit odd that his sister was so cheerful, and above that, she was not bothered by the lack of time she spent with her new boyfriend. Then again, Cora wasn't a "normal" girl. She was independent. She probably liked the fact that Xavier cared about her, but often left her alone. In other words, his little sister was a bona fide bro.

He briefly considered on telling her about Araya Calavera and her threat on his life. Chris had mentioned that he would not tell anyone; he would leave that to be Derek's right and choice. He shook his head to himself. That would just worry her. Plus, he wasn't worried, and that was what was important.


	28. Checking out the Competition

Xavier had spent no more than six minutes in the motel parking lot when he saw the bus pull up to the stop, less than a twenty yards away from the motel lobby. The four men quickly exited the bus and went inside the lobby.

Xavier waited. They would have to come back out to get to their rooms. He found his eyes wavering over the room Chris had noted the day he had scouted the motel for the alphas. The room where he had seen the drapes waver, as if someone had been peeking out from behind them. Unlike Chris, Xavier fully believed that the alphas' were inside that room. He had parked far away from that room for that reason.

Now _that _was ironic though. Four hunters, living right by a pack of alpha werewolves, both groups unaware of each other's presence. Thinking about it almost made him laugh in a sardonic way.

Sure enough, all four guys reemerged from the lobby. One of them gripped a key card in his hand. For a moment, he stood still outside the lobby door, his eyes darting left and right. No doubt searching for Chris. _And his SUV. _Araya had definitely cautioned them to be wary of Argent's silver vehicle.

Once he was apparently satisfied, he turned and walked towards a wooden stairwell, which led to the second story. The other three followed in his wake. The four men reached the upper level and immediately went to a room. Despite the distance, Xavier could make out the door number, 275. Six rooms away from the alphas. Even better.

The second the last man entered the room, Xavier drove out of the parking lot, trying not to make too much noise. They weren't coming back out, not today. If he had been assigned to kill Derek Hale, he would have arrived early. He would have planned out the hit if it were to be staged, or scouted out the town if it were to be incidental. These guys had the same idea, and it would have to be incidental. Derek had no routine; he couldn't be predicted by such and thus, he couldn't be manipulated.

Xavier had learned everything he wanted and more; yet he felt strangely unsettled, like he wasn't in control of the situation. He wasn't; there were too many unknown variables. And that scared him.

…

After two days of Cora acting more blissful than a man on ecstasy, Derek had enough. "What on earth are you on? Wereajuana?!"

Cora stifled a laugh. "Don't be an idiot. I'm just in a pretty good mood."

"Uh, that's not a pretty good mood. You're high on cheer. Are you sick? Peter would say you're sick."

Cora sneered at him, some attitude bubbling from under the surface. Derek, truth be told, was relieved to see it come out, even if it was only a short instance. "Uncle Peter can suck it. And so can you, bro."

Derek snorted. "No thanks. I'm not Xavier."

Cora punched him. "Am I not allowed to be happy?"

Derek backed off. "No, of course you are. I'm glad you are. It's just I don't want you to get hurt. The first time always hurt the most."

Cora bristled. "What do you mean?"

Derek sighed. He wished their mother was still alive, if anything, because she would have been much better at giving this talk than he was. Cora was already eighteen, yet she has never had a boyfriend. She had less relationship knowledge than many of today's fourteen year olds. It was silly, sad, and awesome all at the same time.

"Cora, boys don't stay forever. Sometimes, they disappear."

Cora's voice was flat, and her brow was furrowed. "Duh."

Derek bit back a retort. "I'm just saying, don't be shocked if Xavier didn't stick around. Don't be surprised if you two separate."

Cora looked dismissive, as he expected her to. "I'll handle that when it happens. If that's the case, he's just a another guy."

"He's the first," Derek corrected. "He'll be different from the rest. I mean, he already is. He's a hunter."

…

Xavier reported to Chris as soon as he returned to the Argent stronghold. The older man sat still, listening for so long that he had wondered if his partner had fallen into a stupor, daydreaming. He waved his hand in front of Chris's face, and was startled when the other hunter reacted immediately.

"I heard you, X."

Slightly embarrassed, the younger man put his hand behind his back. "Well?"

Chris flicked up of his wrists, jerking his hands in an _I have no idea _gesture. "You tell me, kiddo." Xavier stared right back at him. Clearly, they were both out of immediate ideas.

"Well, we can't really do jack right now. We kind of need Derek to draw them out." Xavier thought about suggesting that Derek intentionally put himself into the open, but he knew that was practically inviting an argument. Not the most appealing option.

Chris steepled his fingers together, his brow furrowed in concentration. He looked ten years older right now, stressed and tired. "We'll just try and monitor Derek for the time being. He won't liaison with us, stubborn mule. But maybe we can use Cora to help out with that. Think you can get a bug inside the loft? Maybe a cam outside of it?"

Xavier felt uncomfortable. "Using my girlfriend?" Of course, he knew it was a logical move. But after all the stuff he had spoken to Scott about, it seemed to be counterintuitive.

Chris nodded his understanding, resting his arms behind his head. "No, of course. We can't do that. I shouldn't have suggested it."

Xavier interrupted him. "If there is opportunity, we do."

…

Opportunity knocked on the topside of Xavier's head much sooner than he expected, in the form of Cora Hale's fist.

"Hey you," she teased. "Its your lunchtime, right?"

She was dressed in her usual workout clothes. Black running shorts, black sports bra. He had her long hair pulled back in a ponytail, which she had braided in a simple coiled twist. It made her look even prettier.

Xavier hurdled his surprise. "You ran all the way to the school?"

She blinked. "Well, duh. I'm here, aren't I? God, you can be dense."

She flipped her braided hair over her shoulder, letting it flick him on the face. He flinched by reflex, and she grinned, poking him in the side. "C'mon. I wanna be with you."

_No complaints here_. Xavier slung his backpack securely over his shoulder and allowed Cora to pull him to where his car was parked. Along the way, they passed Scott and Stiles. Scott wore a small smile on his face. Stiles looked incredulous. Cora ignored them both.

They had takeout again, although Xavier had tried to campaign for pizza, pointing out that Malia liked the suff. Cora had retorted that Malia was Peter Hale's daughter, and therefore didn't quite qualify in the discussion, due to a "crazy factor." Xavier had relented.

As the empty styrofoam containers lay on the table, their greasy contents already consumed, Xavier took the tiny bug he had built the night before and rolled it underneath the lower floor bed. If Derek ever moved it on a whim, they would find the contraption, but he figured it was a safe bet.

Once the bug disappeared under the mattress, he felt a little guilty. Not a lot, but a little. He was using his girlfriend. In a sense, he was betraying her trust, and taking advantage of it to breach her home and spy on her and her family. He told himself it was for the greater good. _This could save his life_.

Thankfully Cora didn't notice his subtle move nor his conflicted face, because she pulled him onto the bed. The hunter and the she-wolf made out until Xavier was hard as a rock. He flipped her over so he was on top. In between kisses, she used both hands to softly caress his face, a hand on each cheek. "Am I making you late for class?"

He kissed her again before replying. "Present, Ms. Hale."

She laughed, pleasure written all over her face. "Don't call me that."

Xavier flicked his eyebrows up and down. "I'm on top. I do whatever I want."

Cora's response was to grab him and try to wrestle him underneath, but Xavier had leverage, and he maintained his spot while holding her wrists to the bed. Cora was stronger though, and she was on the verge of possibly getting him down, when he interrupted her, pushing her back down. It was all strategic of course. "What about Derek? What if he comes back?"

She relaxed, raising her head to whisper in his ear. "He's not coming back. Not for awhile."

Xavier was in a blissful, distracted mood, but he was able to recall his priorities. "Where is he?"

Cora shrugged her bare shoulders. She was cute when she did that. "Out. Out and about."

Xavier rolled off of her, snatching his cell phone from the table. He tapped a quick message to Chris. _Derek not in loft. Just Cora. _He hit send.

Chris responded almost instantly. _I know, no worry. I got him. All good. _Behind him, Xavier could hear Cora rising from the mattress. "Baby?" He quickly closed his text page and slid the phone across the table, trying to make the motion casual, as if he had just flicked it instead of intentionally pushed it far away.

He turned back to her, his arms snaking around her waist. She touched his shoulders; her lips pressed together, coyly making a shy expression. Turning, she undid her bra, letting it fall to the floor, revealing her olive-toned bare back.

Xavier's mouth had gone dry. He didn't blink. He didn't dare breathe. For a moment, the loft was absolutely silent except for the beating of his own heart. _Oh my god. _She turned back to him, the seductive smile still on her face, her lips slightly pouted.

She let her body go slack and fell onto her back on the bed. She held her slender arms up, beckoning him over, extending them like someone did when expecting a hug.

Xavier allowed himself to collapse into her, enveloped in her beauty, her scent. Her olive-toned skin. It was like a dream to him, one that could never end.

…

Cora lay on her side, her arms still intertwined with Xavier's. She stretched out her long legs, hooking one on his leg. His boxers and jeans lay discarded on the floor, next to his shirt and her bra.

Hiking her knees up, she wrapped her legs around his midsection, scissoring him. She heard him let out a soft moan, his eyes shut, his face looking peaceful. He looked young, almost boyish. He was such a beautiful human being.

Xavier allowed himself to drift downward, kissing every inch of her bare body until he reached her stomach. Her belly was surprisingly soft, and he allowed his lips to hover there. She lay still, letting her skin absorb his lips and sighing in this happy kind of way.

She felt a stab of longing. If only they could do this forever. If only there were no hunters, and no alpha pack, and no high school standing between her and her Xavier.

If only that were so.


End file.
